You Can't Tame The Beast
by Virg
Summary: This is my fic, aimed at all those writers who keep taking Riddick out of character. I ‘GGR!’ you all! This is my take on what really happened after pitch black and WHY Riddick really left Jack with the holy man.. NO OOC’S! rated 4 violence & sexual refs
1. Chapter 1

**You can't tame the beast**

This is my fic, aimed at all those writers who keep taking Riddick out of character. I 'GGR!' you all! This is my take on what really happened after pitch black and WHY Riddick really left Jack with the holy man.. NO OOC'S!

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**CH1: The only 3 left.**

Jack sat quietly, staring at her idol. The fifteen year old girl had been staring at Riddick for hours now, while the Holy Man sat behind them, praying. Riddick was piloting the dodgy, half broken-down space craft that they'd used to escape that god-forsaken planet. Richard B. Riddick, her idol, had come back for her and the holy man and saved them from the horrid monsters that threatened to eat them all.

Jack sat in the 2IC's chair to the left of the bald man, still staring at Riddick, while she played with the end of her seatbelt. They'd been flying for three straight hours and all the while, she stared at the muddy bald man next to her. Riddick hadn't said a word after telling Jack and the Holy man to tell people that Riddick died back on the planet. He seemed to be concentrating on piloting the aircraft. But even though she only knew him for a day, Jack knew that Riddick could pilot the ship in his sleep.

Really, Riddick hadn't been forced to spend 'quality time' with 'normal' people in so long that he couldn't even remember the last time he had to do it and play nice. There was just something about fighting for your lives that made Riddick pity the holy man and Jack. He figured 'Why kill them now, after they survived all that?' Honestly, having Jack stare at him for three solid hours was starting to get on his nerves. He pretended to be concentrating on piloting so that he wouldn't have to talk to the other two, but he was starting to get annoyed.. really annoyed with Jack's staring.

Jack smiled when she thought she saw Riddick's head turn ever so slightly in her direction. She figured he'd finally say something heroic to her, or congratulate her on staying alive through it all. But instead, her hopes of Riddick being a noble hero were sent crashing down.

Riddick's left hand left the controls of the ship and quickly wrapped itself around Jack's skinny neck. The bald girl panicked and her hands reflexively brought themselves up to Riddick's large muscular hand. The Holy man, brought out of his prayers, got out of his seat and ran over to Jack, trying to wrench Riddick's large hand from her neck. Riddick, ignoring the Holy Man's actions leaned in close to Jack and growled, "Stop staring at me." And with that he let go of her neck and went back to piloting the ship.

Jack was stunned to the point that she couldn't stop the tears from welling in her eyes. Her neck hurt, and she could have died at the hands of the man she'd begun to idolize.

The Holy man unbuckled Jack's seatbelt and ushered her away from Riddick, to the seats at the back of the craft. "Shh.. It'll be alright, child," the holy man cooed. He hugged Jack as she sobbed in his arms.

Riddick felt nothing as he heard the young girl cry. Actually, he felt annoyed. "Fucking kids," He grumbled to himself, his deep voice loud enough for the other two to hear.

The Holy man glared at the back of Riddick's bald head. "It'll be alright, child," The Holy man soothed again. "The first planet we come across, we'll never have to see him ever again." Jack didn't reply, as she continued to sob, knowing that she was going to get a nasty hand-shaped bruise on her neck soon.

Riddick resisted the urge to smile. He'd been busting to dump those two on the first rock he came across. However, after the harrowing ordeal he'd been through on that monster-infested rock, Riddick needed a place to crash first. He hadn't slept at all and it was no easy trek carrying the stupid power cells to the ship. He wouldn't allow himself to sleep while he were still flying the ship with these two bozos. He planned on dropping them off and then try find somewhere safe and hidden to sleep.

The rest of the flight was dead silent. It was another three hours to New Mecca and even though he'd just grabbed Jack by the neck, Riddick could still feel her eyes burning n the back of his head. 'It's going to be a long trip' he thought to himself. 'Fucking civilians.. I should have just left them behind..'

* * *

"End of the line," Riddick announced as he landed the piece of junk ship just outside the city walls. He pushed the necessary buttons to shut down the engines and opened the bay door. It was then that Riddick finally unbuckled his seatbelt and turned to look over at his passengers. He walked over to the Holy man, who held a sleeping Jack in his arms. Her make-shift goggles sat lopsided on her head. "Time to go, Holy man," Riddick announced as he stood in front of the dark man.

The Holy man knew what to expect next. He and Jack would never see their saviour again. But, even though Riddick had just saved them both, the Holy man had one last thing to ask of Riddick. "Please.. I can't carry her on my own.." He pleaded as he tried to lean Jack over towards Riddick. Riddick just stood there, not willing to give in. "Please," the Holy man repeated. "I offer my home as a place for you to stay while you rest in return for all that you've done for us."

Riddick, weighing up the pros and cons of it all, agreed and bent down to pick up the sleeping girl. Her lanky legs swung back and forth as Riddick walked with her in his arms all the way to the holy man's house. The holy man, however, was not all impressed when Riddick mugged and took the large black cape off the first civilian they passed. Riddick _did_ need a disguise, after all.

Once they reached the Holy man's house, Riddick was shown where he could lie Jack down. "Now, let me show you to where you can rest," The holy man explained as he led Riddick to another guest room. "Don't try anything funny, old man," Riddick warned.

The Holy man couldn't help but chuckle at Riddick's threat. He knew Riddick had the power to kill him and Jack with his bare hands. He already made that fact well aware to the two civilians back on the ship. "I owe you my life, Riddick. I assure you I would not betray you in return."

Riddick grunted in agreement. Once the holy man showed him to his room, Riddick shut the door behind him, turned off the light and removed his goggles. He could feel his eyes finally giving into slumber as he walked over to the bed and fell face-first on it. He hadn't allowed himself to feel sleepy since they'd left the monster infested hell hole. Now, having finally felt safe enough to rest his eyes, rest he did. Within seconds, the large brute had fallen into a deep slumber.

* * *

Jack woke up to find herself in new surroundings. She was no longer on the crappy, rusty ship. She sat up and realized they must've reached New Mecca. She looked around the room. She was lying in a queen sized bed, under crimson bedding and the smell of lavender and pinewood filled the air. She looked over to her right and her goggles lay slung over the back of a wooden pine chair. Next to the chair was a dresser, with incense burning on top of it. The holy man had layed out a cotton green dress for Jack to wear. Jack just sneered at the dress. "Riddick wouldn't be caught dead in a dress," Jack said to herself as she walked past the dress and out the bedroom door.

She walked silently down the cold hard concrete floor of the house. She wasn't entirely sure if it was friendly territory, but the sight of finely placed furniture and long purple and gold drapes that hung around the room gave Jack the impression that things were finally safe. 'Maybe this is the holy man's house?' she asked herself. Her shoes were obviously removed while she slept, and she was thankful. Walking around barefoot made her roaming around all the more stealthier. Her combat boots would have made loud thudding sounds as she walked. 'Where is everyone?'

Jack, figuring that no one was around, took the opportunity to roam around and scope out the place. She still walked around silently just in case. As she walked down the long dark hallway, she realized that even though it was painfully sunny outside, all the shades had been drawn, making the house dimly lit, as the tiniest streaks of light still peeked their way around the curtains. 'Maybe so Riddick doesn't have to wear his goggles?'

The teen found her way to the kitchen. Realising that she hadn't eaten at all on the ship ride over, she scrounged around for.. something! Anything to eat! She searched cupboard upon cupboard for something fresh, but all she could find was pre-dried food. She shrugged and grabbed something that resembled a fruity-flavoured pre-wrapped snack and opened the foil packeting as quietly as she could, still unsure as to why the house was so quiet. She munched on the fruity-bar as she continued to walk own the next hallway, checking out every room that she passed. The first closed door she came across, ended up being the holy man's bedroom. When she peeked inside she found the holy man fast asleep. Jack moved on to the next room, not realizing her idol lay sleeping in there.

Jack had no idea that Riddick had planned to stick around for a while. When she opened the door to his room, her heart fluttered when she saw him lying face down on the bed. He hadn't even bothered to get in under the covers. Mud still streaked across his arms and head, and his pants and singlet were torn. He looked like a wreck.

Even though he'd almost choked her earlier, Jack still felt a connection to the big ogre. She subconsciously raised her hand to her neck, where Riddick had grabbed her only hours ago. The skin was tender, and she didn't dare go look in a mirror, for fear of what she looked like. The bald teen stood in Riddick's doorway for a few more minutes, watching him sleep. She felt the need to be with him, as if she had a connection with the larger man. She may not have been a killer constantly on the run from mercs, but she was also running away from a shady past that she was not yet ready to share with anyone.

Jack took a single cautionary step closer to Riddick. He didn't stir. Having realized he was still in a deep slumber, she took another step closer.. and another.. and another, until she was standing right above him. She saw that on the wooden chair next to Riddick's bed, was a large brown blanket. She reached over and unfolded it. Just as she turned back towards Riddick, ready to cover him with it, Jack felt a piece of cold metal at her side. She froze, unsure if she was about to die or not. She looked down at the bed and saw that Riddick had woken up, still lying on his stomach and was now holding his shiv to her belly.

"What are you doing?" Riddick grumbled, still half asleep, but alert enough to gutt her if she moved an inch.

Jack, still holding the brown blanket, shook it ever so slightly to emphasize it. "I was just going to cover you with it," She said as calmly as she could. She held her breath as she felt the shiv press a little harder to her belly and then retract itself back into the safety of its holster on Riddick's thigh.

Riddick took the blanket from Jack's hands and rolled onto his back. He messily covered himself up with the blanket and ordered, "Get out, kid," gesturing with his hand for Jack to beat it. He pulled his hands up behind his head, his massive biceps bulging and in full view as Jack couldn't help but stare. There was just something about Riddick lying there, staring at her with his silver eyes, all muddy and half asleep that made Jack's heart flutter. It was official, she had a massive crush on Riddick. She couldn't help but move her gaze from his mesmerizing silver eyes, and down to his body. The blanket, having been thrown lazily over himself, left Riddick's upper body and left leg exposed.

Riddick, never the fool, noticed what Jack was doing. She was perving on him. Of course he had to take a crack at her to amuse himself. If she was willing, Riddick wouldn't hesitate to take her right there and then. He hadn't had a good woman in a long time. However, Jack was far from a woman, and Riddick liked his girls to be full grown. But hey, he was a man with needs and all.. so he smirked at Jack and asked in his deep, husky voice, "See something you like, Squirt?"

Jack's gaze immediately returned to Riddick's eyes and the smirk he had on his face. She blushed bright red, having been sprung checking out his body. She was stunned, unsure what to say. Instead, it was Riddick who seemed to be doing all the talking today.

Riddick moved his right hand from behind his head and slowly placed it around Jack's wrist. She wasn't sure what to do, because the last two times they had contact, Riddick had a hand to her neck, and then a shiv to her belly. Her senses were running overtime. She could feel the adrenalin pumping through her veins, unsure whether to adopt the fight or flight response, so she just stood there, wondering what Riddick was doing.

Riddick moved his hand from her wrist to her waist. He then brought his other hand from behind his head, grabbed Jack by the hips with both hands and pulled her on top of him until Jack was lying body to body on top of Riddick. Jack, unsure of what was going on, suddenly felt seriously uncomfortable being this close to a mass murderer –idol or not. Her eyes were wide open, staring right into Riddick's. "It's been a long time since I've had some action," Riddick whispered in Jack's ear.

Jack freaked out and got up off Riddick, who had by now let go of her hips. "I.. I gotta go!" Jack stammered as she backed out of the room as fast as she could, closing the door behind her. She walked a couple of steps, but she was so worked up over what had just happened that she needed to lean up against the wall next to Riddick's door. Her idol had just suggested they have sex.. and Jack, still fifteen, wasn't sure what to make of it. Sure, she ad a crush on him and idolized the life he led, but she wasn't willing to do anything like that.. with him. On one hand, she wanted to be him, on the other she was shit scared of him. Jack slid down the wall and tried to steady her breathing. She felt like she'd just ran a marathon and that her heart was about to break out of her chest. A loud bellowing laugh came from behind Riddick's door.

"Asshole," Jack said quietly to the door where the laughter originated from.

* * *

**Author's notes:** oh man! That was intense.. I haven't written anything in MONTHS! And now I'm writing about Riddick being a total dk! okay, I did it on purpose (even though I hate seeing Riddick this way) because even tho he seems more 'humanised' in COR, I doubt he would have been as 'homely' right after they escaped that planet in pitchblack! There's a lot more to come.. and yes I know I just turned Riddick into a total sleeeze bag, but hey.. what would you expect an escaped convict to do when a girl hovers over his bed? LOL! PLEase please review! Hate it, love it, I don't care! No chapter 2 until I get 10 reviews! 


	2. ch2: Riddick's Shadow

**Author's notes:** well well well, i wasnt expecting 12 reviews in 2 days! So I had to work speedily to get cracking on a new chapter!!! So as promised, chapter 2! It's a lot longer then the first chapter, and i wont be able to post ch3 up intil after the weekend (hopefully sooner tho) but since i got 12 reviews.. let's aim for 15 reviews before Saturday.. otherwise no chapter 3! MWAHHAHAHAHAAH!

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**Ch2: Riddick's Shadow**

Jack, still shook-up over Riddick's moves on her, decided to go outside and take a walk around New Mecca. This was the place she originally wanted to escape to when she ran away from home. She'd heard that it was a place full of opportunity and where she'd be able to make a new start for herself. She just never expected that she'd have to fight for her life from man-eating monsters to get there.

Jack caught a glimpse of what time it was on a clock perched up at the back of one of the stalls she walked past. It was after noon and all she'd eaten was a fruit bar. Seeing as she was walking towards what looked like the marketplace, Jack figured she buy some food for herself and the others. The only thing was she had no credits. She surveyed the mob of people as they walked through the marketplace. It was jam packed full of people. It was the perfect place to pickpocket someone. It was easier to do when there are hundreds of people to hide amongst. Jack surveyed the crowd before her. There was a middle-aged man with three street kids pestering him for money. Jack could see he had a fabric moneybag tied to his belt as he tried to shoo away the kids. Jack took this as her chance. She walked in between the man and the kids and began yelling at the kids, "Bugger off, guys!" Jack yelled at the kids as she walked backwards towards the man. "Can't you see this man has better things to dooOOOO!" Jack squealed as she tripped over the man's shoe and crashed into him, sending him also crashing down to the ground with Jack on top of him.

"Oh my God!" Jack stammered, trying to roll off the man, discreetly grabbing his moneybag in the process. "I am SOOO SORRY! I didn't mean to.." She said, helping him up before dusting herself off.

The man seemed to be fine with a teenage girl falling on him "It's quite alright, Miss..??" he asked, trying to catch her name.

"Annie," Jack lied. "Look, I'm really sorry but I gotta go!" She said quickly before running off. Jack weaved her way through the crowds, the loud rumble of human voices drowned out the cries of the newly robbed man.

* * *

Riddick began to stir from his sleep as the smell of bacon and eggs filled the air. His stomach won over his need for sleep and he began to wake. It had been years since he smelled a fresh home-cooked meal like that. Not willing to pass up a free meal, he rolled out of bed and rubbed the back of his shaved head. He remembered back to a few hours ago when he propositioned Jack. 'I think I scared the poor girl out of her wits,' Riddick thought to himself, _almost_ feeling bad for his action.. almost. 'Feel sorry for the kid later. Food first,' Riddick thought to himself as he followed the smell of the delicious food. 

Riddick walked past the bathroom on his way to the kitchen. He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror and seeing himself all grotty and mud covered, he had to do something about it. It reminded him too much of those disgusting creatures he had to fight off. He was so tired before that he didn't bother washing himself before falling asleep. Riddick noticed the shower next door and figured he'd have a quickie. He closed the bathroom door behind himself and cranked up the hot water for a much needed hot shower.

* * *

Jack didn't want to wake the others, especially Riddick, so she only cooked enough bacon and eggs to feed herself. She'd left the rest of the eggs and uncooked bacon on the counter top, ready for the others to cook their own meals. Jack sat on the tall cushioned stool at the counter and thanked the gullible man at the market for her meal. Jack took a second to admire the mini feast on her plate. Fried bacon, scrambled eggs and three pieces of toast. Jack hadn't had a home cooked meal since she ran away from home a month ago. Everything else she'd been eating was pre-dried or manufactured and packaged. She bobbed her head down to savour the smell of her food before grabbing her fork and dug in. 

"My my, child. You've certainly cooked up a feast worthy of the gods."

Jack looked up towards the kitchen doorway to see the holy man smiling at her. He walked over to the stove to see uncooked food, ready and waiting for him to make his own food. "Where did you get this?" the holy man asked.

Jack, still chewing her bacon, replied, "Market." And went back to chewing.

The dark man turned to her, afraid of the answer he was about to get to the question he was wanting to ask her. "And where did you get the money to buy all this?"

Jack smiled with her mouth still full of food. "A nice man at the market was kind enough to give me the money." The holy man knew she was lying. He sighed, figuring he'd have to change her thieving ways soon enough. But for now, he was hungry.

Not long after the holy man had begun to eat, while conversing with Jack, Riddick had slowly made his way into the kitchen. The other two stopped talking and looked over at the now clean man. "Something smells good," Riddick said as he walked over to the stool seated next to Jack. He sat himself down and looked over at Jack and Imam.

Jack didn't want to be afraid of Riddick, but she couldn't help but feel awkward around the big brute now. She kept wondering if he was eyeing her, thinking of naughty things to do to her. She still idolised him but after he told her to stop staring at him, she was almost too scared to look at the guy. "I'll make you some food," Jack said quickly as she leaped off her stool. She wanted to give Riddick the impression that she still idolised him, not the impression that she was still feeling weird around him.

"So, Riddick," the holy man began. "What are your plans? Do you plan on staying on New Mecca?"

Jack listened intently. She also wanted to know. She wanted to ask Riddick to train her to be like him. But she needed the time to work up the courage to say it. She had to show him first that she was capable and able to keep up.

"I can't stay here," He replied. "There are too many mercs around here and there's still a bounty on my head. I'm going to go get some supplies and I'll be out of here as soon as I can find a ship."

"Can I come with you?" Jack asked enthusiastically, turning around, spatula in hand to look at her idol. Riddick cocked his head to the side and stared at her. His silver eyes staring at her like she were mad. Jack sensed that asking him to take her with him when he leaves may have been a little premature. So she opted for a re-wording of her question.. for now. "I mean, can I go with you to buy supplies?"

This time Riddick nodded. "Why not. I'll need an extra pair of hands to carry everything back. But if you can't keep up, I wont be waiting for you to catch up," the large man explained.

Jack nodded and smiled at him. "Don't worry. I'll keep up."

Imam saw the discolouration on Jack's neck and realised, "Before you go, I have something for you to wear, child. A scarf to cover the bruising on your neck," the holy man said, before leaving the room to find a scarf for her. Imam tried not to look at Riddick when he said it, unsure of what the ex-convict would do if he were blamed for Jack's bruises.

Jack thanked the holy man as he exited the room. She then looked over at Riddick, catching him staring at her bruised neck. The expression on his face was so stoic that it was unreadable. He neck was already showing bruises of purple and blue, and it was clear that someone had grabbed Jack around the neck. Jack never expected an apology from Riddick. But seeing him stare at her neck meant that he was having some remorse for being so cruel. Either that or he was admiring his own work.

Jack felt as though she should say something to ease his pain, or curiosity- she wasn't quite sure which was his reason for staring at her. "Don't worry about it," She said as she turned back around to tend to the sizzling breakfast. "You're not the first man to bruise me like that."

It was then that Riddick had an inkling for why Jack was so attracted to him, despite his violent nature. She'd seen it all before. And even though she ran away from home to escape it all, Riddick was the epitome of what Jack's rage, identity and values were. She wanted to be cold and collective like him. She didn't want to take shit from anyone and to be willing to do anything in her power to protect herself. 'I'd never wish my life on anyone.'

* * *

Riddick didn't fully know why he allowed Jack to accompany him to the market. 'More like following,' he said to himself. 'I don't care what I did to her neck. I'm only doing this because I need a hand carrying everything.' Riddick looked over his shoulder and saw Jack following behind him with a big grin on her face, like a giddy puppy following her master. She was trying to stay hot on his heels, but trying to keep enough space between them so she doesn't bump into him if he stopped. With Jack walking behind him made it look like she were his slave girl. That suited him just fine, but when he tried to hand her food supplies to carry, Riddick had to keep turning around to see if she was still there to pass things to. "Walk next to me," Riddick grumbled as they made their way through the crowds. 

"I can't'!" Jack exclaimed as she weaved through the crowds of people to catch up to Riddick. She was carrying two canvas bags filled with enough sachet and packeted food to last Riddick months.

"Stop letting yourself be pushed around," the larger man commanded, only barely turning his head to see her struggling behind him.

Jack wasn't sure what he meant by that. Of course she wasn't wanting to be pushed around by the crowd. "I'm not!" She squealed, struggling to keep up.

Riddick stopped and turned to face Jack, who had to stop hard in her tracks to not plough into the wall that was Riddick. "Look at you. You're scrawny and you're following me around like a slave-girl. You have no air of confidence about you, like a little mouse!" Riddick criticised. She hated hearing these words, his deep voice rumbling over the sounds of the hoards of people. It's exactly the opposite of what she wanted to be. "No wonder they're pushing you around," he grumbled as took the two bags from Jack. He turned and continued to walk through the marketplace.

Jack began to follow her idol but an obese woman bumped into her. "Sorry!" Jack stammered before running to catch up to Riddick.

"And stop saying sorry!" he bellowed without even looking behind him to see if Jack was still there.

Jack tried desperately to catch up by weaving in and around the hoards of people walking around the market. She looked up to see she was catching up to Riddick. The only thing was, she was moving through the crowd by weaving through it, but Riddick.. People seemed to just get out of his way as he walked in a straight line through the marketplace. His stance breathed confidence, and danger. No one would want to get in Riddick's way.

The hot sun shone down on Riddick's black cape that he 'borrowed' from a passer by when they first arrived. 'He's got to be sweating like crazy under that,' Jack thought to herself. 'I'm only wearing cargoes and a singlet and I'm already sweating like a pig!' She grunted as she tugged at the sheer black scarf she had tied around her neck. 'Stupid scarf.'

* * *

They'd finished their shopping for food supplies and so Riddick led the way to outskirts of the city, where the underground market was. You didn't buy hardcore weaponry in a public market. Especially if you don't want people asking any questions. As they neared the 'market', Riddick stopped and handed Jack the two canvas bags. "Don't talk. Don't even look anyone in the eye," he instructed. "To them, you're my slave." 

Jack nodded and took the bags. This was all so new and exciting to her. She craved the experiences that were Riddick's life. "Thanks for bringing me with you," Jack smiled as she walked alongside Riddick.

Riddick paused for the slightest second before continuing his walk to the arms market. Jack noticed this, as if Riddick were trying to register what she'd just said. Honestly, Riddick didn't really know what to say to such kind words. He'd only ever used his 'please' and 'thank-you's' when he was stealing things or taunting his enemy. 'What do I say to a kid?' He thought to himself. Instead, Riddick went back to business and replied, "I said don't talk," his gruff voice remained stoic, but he had a hint of a smile appearing on his lips.

"What's so funny?" Jack asked, looking up at Riddick's face as they walked.

Riddick grunted to suppress the laugh. "You make it sound like you enjoyed my company today," Riddick commented. "You hang around escaped convicts in your spare time?" He joked as he looked over at her. His goggles may have covered his eyes, but there was a slight change in the pitch of his voice that let her know he was actually playing nice.

Jack, taking it as a bonding experience, smiled back at him. "Yeah. I love turning escaped convicts into my bitches," Jack laughed.

Riddick couldn't help but laugh at the idea of puney Jack with all these thugs grovelling at her feet. His deep laugh was different to the maniacal one he let out when he'd propositioned her earlier today. This laugh was straight from the belly and it even made Jack smile whole-heartedly hearing it. He turned to Jack and smiled. "I'd pay to see that," Riddick joked, rubbing his hand over Jack's bald head. Still smiling at her, he repeated, "I said don't talk."

* * *

Jack stood silently, watching Riddick inspect a large rifle that was handed to him. She was careful not to look at anyone else's faces except Riddick's. Her hands hurt, so she put the two canvas bags down on the ground in front of her, making sure she had a foot touching each bag, just in case someone tried to nick them. 

"So how much do you want for this, the four handguns and the two shivs?" Riddick asked the 'shop' owner. They were standing in the living room of some guy who had invited them in to check out his merchandise. Jack would normally never enter the house of someone looking as dirty and sleazy as the owner of this weaponry, but she felt safer by Riddick's side.

"It depends," The greasy-haired man said. Jack cringed when he spoke because it exposed his rotting teeth and the smell of his bad breath kept heading in her direction. She was going to feel physically ill from the smell.

Riddick put down the rifle on the worn out dinner table next to him, alongside the rest of the weapons he'd chosen. "Depends on what?" Riddick asked back, feeling the need to get out his schiv that was tucked into the back of his pants.

Jack couldn't help but look up at Riddick. She didn't dare look the other man in the eye, but she caught glimpses of him when he wasn't looking. The man made her cringe. He was covered in dirt and he looked as if he hadn't bathed in weeks. "See here's the thing," The greasy man began. "I'll give you two payment options," he said, smiling at the idea he'd just gotten.

Riddick knew this guy would be shifty, and try to screw Riddick over eventually. This is usually the part where Riddick would just kill said seller and take whatever he wanted. But he was willing to humour the other man to see what he had to say and why the hell he had such a big nasty grin on his ugly mug. "I'm listening."

"First option, you can pay 5000 credits for this stuff, and I'll even throw in a few extra shivs."

Riddick didn't like the guy's prices and felt that killing the man would be a better option. But he _did_ previously think it was more worthwhile to hear the man's options first. "And the second option?"

Jack suddenly felt a chill run down her spine. 'Oh God!' She couldn't stop herself looking up at the greasy man in fear.

"Option two," The man said, casually walking his way over to Jack. 'You let me keep your pretty slave-girl and I'll let you have anything here free of charge.." The man propositioned. He walked right up to Jack and raised his hand to touch her face.

But Jack would have none of that. "Get your slimey paws off me!" She squealed, moving away from the man before he could reach her and she ran behind Riddick.

"Oh, she's got spirit!" The dealer was practically giddy at Jack's alertness. "It's so much more fun when they haven't been broken already. Pity she hasn't got any hair though," He started saying to himself.

Jack wanted to pound the man into a pulp, but she knew that with her small stature she wouldn't be able to even get a hand on him. She kept Riddick between herself and the dealer, hoping that Riddick would defend her honour. The dealer looked over at Riddick with a twinkle in his eye, "So can I have another look at her?"

Riddick paused for a moment. 'Do I really need this kid following me around all the time? Nope. She'd just slow me down.' Riddick shrugged and lifted an arm up and around the back of Jack. He shoved her in the direction of the arms dealer and watched as the man grabbed Jack by the wrist. Jack squealed in surprise at being offered to the dealer. He tried to lean in and smell her but Jack punched him in the face with her free hand.

"Don't you ever fuck'n touch me!" Jack growled at the man. In reply he just laughed and grabbed her by her upper arms and gripped on tightly. "Oh she's a pretty one, that's for sure," the man said, looking over at Riddick. "I don't suppose she's still a virgin after being _your_ slave?"

Riddick remained silent and stoic. Jack couldn't believe what was going on! Riddick was ready to trade her in for weapons! She needed to get herself out of this mess. "Goddamn you Riddick! You can't just leave me here!" She pleaded. Riddick just stared at her through his tinted goggles. "Riddick!!!" Jack screamed, trying to free herself from the clutches of the arms dealer, but with little luck. "After all that you've done for me, you're just going to leave me here to rot!?" Jack began to cry.

"I'm not the good guy you want me to be, kid," Riddick replied ignoring her tears. "You're just convenient and you're saving me a lot of money." And with that Riddick began picking up his weapons one by one.

"Riddick! RIDDICK!" Jack screamed at the top of her lungs. She couldn't believe it. She was doomed to become the arms dealer's whore. "RIDDICK! PLEASE!"

"Shut it!" The arms dealer commanded as he slapped Jack across the face.

"I said GET OFF ME!" Jack yelled at him, realising she had two free legs. She kicked the horrid man in the crotch. Even Riddick turned back around to see what was the cause of the painful grunting sound was. The arms dealer fell to his knees, groaning in pain. Finally being freed from the arms dealer, Jack kicked him in the head, causing the man to fall onto his back. There was a rage burning inside Jack that she'd never allowed herself to let out. She pictured all the times her dad would beat her and the times that Riddick had disrespected her. She pictured their faces on the fallen man and began kicking him in the face, repeatedly.

Riddick watched Jack fly into her fit of rage. It reminded him of the kid he used to be and it caused something in his chest to stir. 'Why is this making me feel so.. sad?'

Jack yelled in fury as she watched the man pass out from the massive head trauma he'd received. But that didn't stop her. "Fuck YOU! Fuck YOU, you fucking PERVERT!" Jack yelled. Her boot was covered in blood and the amount of blood pouring on the floor was frightening.

Riddick, seeing that the man was clearly dead, or near death, decided to put an end to it. He'd seen himself do the same thing one too many times in his youth as he saw himself in Jack at this very moment. Seeing how Jack wanted so much to be like him, felt a little voice inside him that could only be described as his conscience coming out of hibernation, told him that this isn't the life he wanted for Jack. "Jack, stop," Riddick said. But Jack wasn't listening. She was in her own little world, now continually kicking a dead man. "JACK!" Riddick's voice boomed in Jack's ears and she was brought out of her delirium.

She turned to look at Riddick, her eyes seemed so hollow. Riddick hated this scenario he was caught in with every fibre of his being. It brought up so many conflicting feelings. If it were any other day, he wouldn't have hesitated to give up Jack and just walk off, leaving her alone with the arms dealer. But then at the same time, seeing her in a fit of rage brought up some repressed memories of past childhood violence that Riddick was sure he'd forgotten. He wasn't sure how to deal with this situation. Jack was still a kid. No doubt this was her first kill and she would need someone to help her deal with it. Unfortunately for her, Riddick was not that man. Riddick comforted no-one. He was as hard as a rock, and he liked it that way. But seeing how hollow Jack's eyes looked, made him uncomfortable and unsure of what to do. 'I'm not hugging her,' he thought to himself.

"Come on. Let's get back to the holy man's house," Riddick said, cocking his head to the left, in the direction of the door. He found a duffle bag across the room and packed up his 'purchase', along with a few extra weapons he found lying around. He then picked up the two canvas bags with one hand and walked over to the door. The only thing was, Jack wasn't moving. She was still in shock over what she'd done. "Jack." No reply. Riddick walked right up to Jack until he was in her face. "Hey," he said, nudging her with his elbow.

The feeling of being nudged, rattled jack out of her stupor. "Riddick?" Jack looked up at him with a fear in her eyes he hadn't seen since she found out the monsters were eyeing her in particular because she was 'bleeding'. "I.. he.. You were going to sell me.."

Riddick was sure that if he were the holy man, he'd hug Jack right now and tell her things were going to be okay and that he was sorry for trying to sell her off. But he wasn't the holy man. He was Richard B. Riddick. Escape convict, murderer and all round bad guy. Now he was stuck with a kid that needed consoling. "Let's go," he said before leaving her again and headed for the door. When he reached the door he turned around and saw Jack just standing there, looking at the mess she made. "I told you that if you can't keep up, I'm not waiting for you," Riddick said, repeating the words he'd told her before they'd gone to out to buy supplies. Jack nodded, realising that Riddick meant business, child-seller or not, she was going to follow him home.

Riddick handed Jack one of the canvas bags for her to carry. "Here," he said, holding he bag in her direction.

Jack saw it and took it form Riddick's hands. "Thanks," She said out of habit. Riddick subconsciously stiffened for a split-second at her response. Why did she say thanks after all the shit he'd put her through? Kindness was unknown to Riddick, as he'd rarely, if ever, received it in his life. He grunted and marched on, not wanting Jack's innocence get to him.

Jack noticed the sudden change in pace and sped up to keep up with Riddick's large steps. "Riddick?" Jack asked, waiting for a reply that was never going to come. She knew Riddick had heard her, so she continued on. "Were you really going to sell me?" She was almost afraid to ask.

"Yep."

"So why didn't you stop me from.. from.. killing that guy?" Jack asked, being forced to relive the last few minutes after hearing her own words.

Riddick wasn't entirely sure himself. But a line he used only days before was the first thing that came to mind. "Strong survival instinct," Riddick said, looking over at the girl. "I admire that in a woman."

* * *

Riddick didn't talk to her once they got back. Jack wasn't sure why. When they'd gotten back to Imam's house, Riddick dropped his newly acquired gear and food on the floor of the holy man's living room. He then disappeared into the house, leaving Jack wondering what that man does with his spare time. She followed Riddick's lead and placed the second canvas bag next to the first. "Now what?" She asked herself, unsure what to do with herself. She thought about Riddick. Jack knew he wasn't going to be the talkative type. She knew he wasn't _ever_ going to say the word 'sorry' in her lifetime. And she knew that if Riddick felt even the slightest bit guilty about trying to sell her off, no chance in hell was he ever going to show it. 

Jack couldn't stop thinking about what had just happened. It was then that she realised that she still had blood all over her boots. She looked down and saw that her bloodied boots had sand covered all over the soles and sides. As they walked home, the sand had stuck itself to the blood on her boots. "Oh no.." Jack said aloud as she looked behind her. She'd left a trail of sand and blood spots on the floor as she entered the house.

She took off her boots and placed them next to the front door. She'd clean them later. First thing, she better clean up the floor before the holy man saw.

* * *

She couldn't get the vivid memories out of her head. "I killed a man," Jack said to herself, looking in the mirror. She was in the bathroom, washing her boots in the sink. "I killed a man.." She repeated. It's all she'd been saying to herself for the last 20 minutes. "I killed a man.." Jack, stuck in the loop that was her first murdering experience, didn't even realise the door behind her open. 

Riddick was standing in the doorway of the bathroom. He crossed his arms and leaned in the doorframe. He knew he was stealthy, but didn't realise he was so stealthy that Jack didn't even notice him in the reflection of the mirror. "The first is always the hardest."

Jack almost jumped out of her skin when she heard Riddick's deep husky voice echo in the bathroom. The tiles only made his voice reverberate around the room. She saw how amused Riddick was at her freaking out at his presence as he smirked as he watched her try calm herself down.

"What?" Jack said, still clutching her chest.

"The first kill is always the hardest," Riddick replied. He had a smile on his face that could only be described as pride in the girl and her instinct to protect herself.

"Why are _you_ so happy?" She sneered at him. She'd already been choked, assaulted, killed a man, and now she was not afraid of challenging Riddick.

"All this time you wanted to be like me," He replied. "And now you're realising the full force of what killing does to you," Riddick explained. "It stays with you, killing a part of you each time until there's nothing left inside."

Jack sat herself down on the side of the tub next to her. "You don't look like that when you kill people."

"I've been doing it for a long time."

"Who was the first person you killed?" Jack asked, glad that Riddick was in the mood for sharing.

Honestly, Riddick did not want to answer the question. It had been so traumatic for him at the time that he did everything he could to forget it. But even in his thirties, he remembered it all too well. "Wouldn't you like to know," Riddick replied, giving her a cheeky smirk. He wasn't ready to expose a weak side of himself to a fifteen-year old girl that he hated to admit that he was forming an attachment to. It would only give her cause to cling to him even more. Riddick uncrossed his arms and pushed himself off the doorframe, the door giving out a creaking sound having been released from the weight of Riddick's body. He turned to walk out of the bathroom, but Jack's words stopped him.

"Teach me to shoot..Please?"

Riddick wasn't sure what to make of it all. He'd done some pretty horrible things to her lately and yet she kept clinging to him. 'Why do you keep coming back!?' He turned back around and rubbed his head. He tended to do this when he was thinking, weighting up the pros and cons of his options. "Clean two of the handguns I got and then I'll teach you," He replied before walking away.

Jack smiled and leaped off the tub-side. She turned and began filling the tub with hot water. She dropped her sand and blood covered boots in and ran downstairs to the living room to clean the handguns.

* * *

Jack sat on the floor of Imam's living room, cleaning the guns that Riddick had bought. "You're such a suck-up, Jack," she told herself. 

Riddick walked into the room to see Jack cleaning his weapons. Jack was still in a zone, but not as bad as before. Riddick figured that cleaning the guns kept her mind off the bloodied mess she'd left behind at the arms dealer's house. He wondered why she was still idolising him, even though he was well prepared to leave her with the arms dealer without a second thought. Deep down, he admired her spirit and will to live. He took a few steps closer to Jack and she looked up. "Hi, Riddick," She said casually. The girl was hot and cold. Earlier she looked like she feared him, the next she's talking to him casually and following him around like a puppy. Something in her eyes reminded him of Caroline. She died saying that she'd die for the others, for him. Riddick was still contemplating why someone would die for someone like him. He was a scrap. He was like an insect that just wouldn't die, no matter what you throw at it. He hated being constantly on the run. He had no friends, no family. Even though this is what kept him alive, seeing the big goo-goo eyes of this fifteen year old girl made him wonder how different his life could have been. She was Riddick, if he didn't turn to a life of murder, crime and jail time. 'Why am I even humouring this girl with a shooting lesson anyway? Because she wants to be like me? Or is it because I like feeling like my skills are something to look up to and admire?'

He grunted in reply to Jack's greeting. "Come on," He said, extending his hand to her to help her up. "Grab the guns and some ammo."

* * *

Riddick had previously planned to walk with Jack to the outskirts of the city, but stealing a random person's rider seemed easier. He threw the unconscious man to the ground and got into the driver's seat of the four-wheeled, vehicle. Jack followed suit, still clutching the duffle bag with the two guns, and about 10 cans of processed food she'd stolen from Imam's kitchen. "Where are we going?" Jack asked as she got into the jeep-like vehicle. 

"Far enough for no-one to hear the gunshots," Riddick replied.

* * *

Riddick leaned back against the dead tree as he watched Jack try to aim her pistol. "Use both hands," He instructed. Once he'd explained the basics, he'd left Jack to her own devices. He was happy that she was happy to practice on her own. Riddick had other things to think about. Namely, how to commandeer a ship and get off this hot and sandy rock that was New Mecca. 

It was then that Riddick remembered back to the question that Jack asked him in the kitchen earlier that day. "You were serious about wanting to go with me when I leave here, weren't you?" Riddick asked, staring at her though his dark goggled. He'd removed his black cape because it was too hot and there was no-one around to spot him.

Jack turned around and smiled sheepishly at Riddick. "Maybe," She shrugged.

"Why?" He asked. Teenage girls were a new experience to Riddick and he found it difficult to read this girl.

"Because I want to be just like you," Jack smiled, returning to practicing her shooting.

"You want to be a killer? Forever on the run? The holy man has a nice quiet life set up for you here," Riddick explained. 'What do I care if she stays to have a nice quiet life?' Riddick thought to himself. 'But she does deserve a better life that I had no choice in living.'

"The quiet life sounds too boring," Jack explained. She aimed her handgun as best she could, fired it and missed her canned-food target. "Fuck!" She groaned as she missed for the eleventh time in a row.

"Stop thinking about it so much. Just point and shoot," Riddick explained calmly.

Jack rolled her eyes. "Easy for you to say," She groaned.

Riddick wanted to return to their previous conversation. "You're staying here with Imam," Riddick said.

Jack temporarily gave up on learning to shoot and turned around to glare at Riddick. "What!? Why?! No fuck'n way!!"

"You'll only slow me down," He explained. "You're too innocent to be following me around the galaxy."

Jack's jaw dropped. "Then why have you been testing me this whole time?"

This time it was Riddick's jaw that dropped. "_I've_ been testing you?"

Jack nodded, wondering why Riddick was playing dumb. The only thing was, he wasn't playing dumb. He had no bloody idea what she was on about. "You've been training me to be just like you!" She explained, "Choking me, trying to rape me, teaching me how to walk though the crowd at the market, making me fend for myself against the arms dealer, teaching me to shoot.." Jack listed. "All this time I knew you were just training me to toughen up so that I can be ready when I left New Mecca with you."

Riddick felt like bursting into laughter. Jack was clearly delusional. But at the same time, everything she'd just said made perfect sense to him. 'Have I been training her without knowing it?'

* * *

**Author's notes:** ooh! That was a hard and long chapter to write! I had so many ideas and I didn't have the time to write them all in! I hope this chapter was a good read for ya'll! As I stated in my summary, I'm trying to keep Riddick in character. It could be so easy to domesticate him and have him hug Jack after she killed the guy, but seriously.. What would Riddick really do? I admit, I LOVE reading jack/riddick fics where shes all grown up and they get together.. but my story is my attempt to bridge the gap between PB and COR. I want to explain why Jack/Kira is one angry kitten in COR. As for Riddick, I've had requests for more of his 'tormented' humanity and I've tried to brush on that.. and I'll brush on it more in the next chapter. Seriously, I usually write 100 page stories.. but this is looking like a short one, folks. I reckon I'm already half-way.. :( 


	3. ch3: detatchment ofa teenage drama queen

**Author's notes:** hey all! Sorry for the mondo delay! I'd written half of this chapter weeks ago, but ive been busy busy busy so it took ages to write. Just a mini warning about this chapter.. the end of the chapter might get a bit graphic –both sexually and violently.. but what's so new about that!? ROFL! Also, If anyone wondered, I havent seen the riddick cartoon that's out.. I didn't even know it existed until someone mentioned it in a review! LOL! Don't forget that I'm trying to keep Riddick as a hard-ass but at the same time, wondering about his humanity. Don't forget to review!!!

**Ch3: detachment from a teenage drama queen**

Riddick let Jack's last comment slide. He had no rebuttal that was able to shake Jack's feelings of Riddick testing her and taking her with him. Honestly, he wasn't sure himself why he'd acted in that way. 'I just did what I did without thinking. That's not like me.'

He continued to watch Jack fail, fail and fail again miserably at shooting the first can. He figured that they'd be there all day so he got up from his spot under the tree. "You're starting to get on my nerves," He grunted. Jack stopped and turned around to look at Riddick with a glare. "Aim at that can," Riddick instructed, pointing to the can to emphasise his point. Jack rolled her eyes and aimed as instructed.

Riddick wasn't sure how Jack was going to react to his next move, but it was the only way to teach her how to aim that bloody handgun. Riddick walked up behind Jack and wrapped his large muscular arms around Jack's and steadied her hands with his own. Her hands were so small, delicate and thin. They looked child-like next to Riddick's large, calloused hands. His hands had seen many battles and they seemed to be able to guide Jack in aiming at her target.

When she first felt the warmth of Riddick's large frame up against the back of her, Jack stiffened, remembering the last time they were body to body he was wanting to sleep with her. But, realising what Riddick was doing, she relaxed and safe, and let him do his thing.

Riddick, being the undersexed male that he was, didn't hesitate to take in the feel of Jack's small body within his arms and taking in smell that was Jack. "You're taking too long to aim it. Feel where you're pointing it with your hands. Like when you throw a ball, you need the same hand-eye co-ordination."

Riddick's hands guided Jack's and squeezed the trigger. Before Jack knew it, the first can had exploded and processed meat went flying in all directions.

…………………………

Riddick let Jack continue on for another half an hour. While she was left to her own devices, Riddick began planning on how to get himself a ship to leave New Mecca. He needed to go out and get new ammo and some new clothes because he was still wearing the same torn singlet and ripped cargoes since Johns captured him a week ago.

Riddick looked over towards Jack when he noticed green peas exploding. "WHOOT! YEAH!" Jack squealed with glee. She happy-danced to herself and glanced over at her idol.

Riddick smirked over at the teen as she shook her hips and swung her arms around in celebration. No matter how much of a bad-ass Jack tried to be, Riddick saw that she was still this innocent teenage girl with a sparkle in her eye. It was this innocence that Riddick didn't want to kill by letting her hang out with him. "It's about time you shot one," Riddick teased in his deep gruff voice. "It only took you thirty-seven bullets to do it," He leaned back on the tree and put his hands behind his head, emphasising that they're going to be there for a while.

Jack stuck her tongue out at him and wiggled her butt to tease him back. "Yeah yeah, whatever," She replied as she went back to aiming for the third can.

Riddick grunted at how innocent Jack looked. There was just something about how child-like and happy she was that seemed to rub off on him at that moment. He wondered if this is what being part of a family felt like. 'Family' was a concept that Riddick had given up on and forgotten. And now he was planning to leave Jack behind on New Mecca. Riddick was doomed never to have this thing called 'family'.

He looked up at the sky. The sun had set and the stars shone brightly. He hadn;t sat and relaxed while looking at the stars since he was a kid. He wasn't used to just sitting around doing nothing. He would never be able to fully relax. He had too much going on. Mercs chasing him, the bounty on his head, always looking over his shoulder. It was getting late. Riddick was getting bored watching Jack miss.. miss.. miss again at her target. The girl had no skills with a handgun.

"Okay, pack it up," Riddick announced as he got up off the ground and pat down the back of his pants. "Time to go."

Jack groaned and turned around to complain to Riddick. "Aw, Come on! One more can?!" Jack pleaded.

But Riddick wasn't budging. "It's taken you two hours to hit one can," Riddick explained. He picked up the second handgun Jack had brought with them. He aimed the gun at the remaining eight cans and shot them all, one by one in a matter of seconds. "Honestly I think you have more talent killing people with your legs than you do with a gun." He joked, even though he was telling the truth.

Jack raised the handgun to Riddick's chest. "That's not funny," She said, hurt that she had been reminded of what she'd done earlier that day and because Riddick said she was a hopeless shot. Riddick dropped the other handgun he had been holding. He then took a step closer until his solid chest was pressed against the barrel of the handgun. Oh, how many times he'd been in that position, secretly hoping someone would pull the trigger and end his life on the run. But at the same time, he had such finely tuned survival instincts, the one holding the gun would usually be dead before their brain could send the message to their finger to pulling the trigger.

"Killing isn't funny," Riddick explained, looking deep into Jack's eyes. She held the power in the situation they were in. She was the one holding the gun, Riddick was the one with the gun pointed at his chest. Jack looked up at Riddick's silver eyes. Her eyes showed Riddick that she was holding the gun to his chest without any intention of killing him. There was no fire, no spark in her eyes. Riddick smirked. _He_ had the upper hand, even with the gun to his chest. With lightning speed, Riddick grabbed Jack's hands, which were both holding the gun and he pushed her hands to the side, aiming the gun away. His large hand had enveloped both her hands and the gun, so she was unable to move them or shoot him. With his right hand, he grabbed her by the neck and hoisted her up off the ground. "But killing _can_ be fun," His voice deepened and growled to the point that Jack was scared. He squeezed his large hand around her neck ever so slightly, as he had no intention of killing her. This was the side of Riddick that he wanted Jack to see. The animal. He wanted her to see just how dark he can get.. hoping it'd push her away.

Jack was stunned that Riddick had gotten the upper hand so easily. Tears began to well in her eyes as the feeling of Riddick's hand on her neck brought on the pain already caused by the bruises he gave her before. "Just because you have the gun, doesn't automatically give you the upper-hand," Riddick explained. Jack was trying her hardest to hold back the tears. He could hear her breath start to wheeze and Riddick figured she'd had enough. He lowered her back down onto her feet and let her go. "You're more a hands-on person. Try shivs next time."

Jack dropped the gun and rubbed the skin around her neck, trying to soothe the pain. She realised that Riddick was just standing there, watching her behind stoic silver eyes. She needed to show Riddick that she was able to keep up with him and his standards. She needed him to see that she was worthy enough to go with him when he left New Mecca. "I'm not afraid of you," Jack growled at him, glaring at Riddick.

Riddick cocked his head and wondered why Jack acted the way she did. He was a total bastard to her and yet she kept on idolising him. 'This is one fucked up kitten,' he thought to himself. "Why do you do that?" Riddick asked her. Jack looked confused at him. "What do you want from me, Jack?"

Jack had to think about it for a few seconds. "I want to hang out with you," She said softly, still peeved at him but wanted to tell him how much she needed him around. "You're life is so cool! I want a shine-job like yours and I want you to train me to be like you."

Riddick rubbed the back of his head. "You think I'm this guy that I'm not," Riddick explained. "You think it's cool to be on the run and to kill people? I don't do this for fun," Riddick explained. "Okay, admittedly _sometimes_ it is fun and has its perks. But I had no choice to be like this!" Riddick raised his voice at the end to emphasise a point. "When you killed that guy today," Riddick saw that Jack had begun to look away because he mentioned the arms dealer, so he used his fingers under her chin to bring her face back up to his as he leaned closer. "When you killed that guy today, you may have just been defending yourself, but that's how it always starts." Jack's began to cry again, reliving the visions of her boot crushing bone and getting covered in blood. "But you have a choice in what life you can live next. Forget all this. Go to school, find some scrawny boy to date and live like a normal kid." He removed his fingers from her chin and stood up straight.

Jack listened to Riddick's words. He was right. She had the choice to stay with the holy man and live like a normal teen. But there was something so exotic and exciting about the life Riddick led. Jack didn't want to be a normal, boring teen. She wanted to learn about combat, weaponry and how to fly a ship. There were things most teens don't get to learn. "I _could_ go to school," Jack said, "But if I'm going to learn about life, I want to learn from the best."

Riddick's eyes widened. 'This kid idolises me way too much,' Riddick thought to himself. Before he could say anything back to Jack, he was taken back by suddenly feeling Jack's tiny frame up against his own. Riddick wasn't sure what to do. He felt Jack wrap her arms around his waist as she rested her head on his chest. Hugs weren't something Riddick was used to. The last time he'd hugged anyone was the last time he had sex and hugged as they slept. But that was years ago and the situation was different. Right now, he had a fifteen year old girl wanting comfort.

"Please take me with you.." Jack whispered as she cried into Riddick's chest. Riddick looked down at the crying girl. She was hugging him. She wasn't afraid of him. She looked up to him for strength. She didn't care how horrible he'd been to her. Riddick took a deep breath. Unsure of what sort of reaction he'd receive from Jack, Riddick put his arms around Jack and held her tight. 'I'm going soft..'

……………………………………..

Riddick drove the four-wheeler to a random house a few streets away from Imam's house. He wouldn't want to lead the authorities straight to his safehouse by leaving the vehicle out the front of it. He looked over at Jack and saw that she'd fallen asleep on the ride back. He would normally have just woken Jack up and made her walk back herself, but looking down at the bruises on her neck, he realised that he'd put this kid through enough for today.

Riddick hated this little voice in his head that told him that she was too innocent and pure for him to be contaminating her. The little voice wasn't there before, before he saw how excited she was over his shine-job. It wasn't there when he was asked to lead them through the dark. It only started to rear its cream-puffed cloudy head when he'd left Imam, Carolyn and Jack in that crevice and he was about to take off without them. Hearing a conscience again felt like an itch that Riddick couldn't scratch. He wanted it to go away but he just couldn't reach it to scratch it. He hated it. He hated what Jack and Crolyn had done to him. They both reawakened something inside him that Riddick thought he'd killed years ago –his humanity.

Riddick sighed to himself. He turned and reached in the back to grab the duffle bag that Jack had carried the guns in and he put it over his shoulder. He then got out of the four-wheeler and walked over to Jack's side. He looked at her sleeping figure for a moment. He may have been everything she wanted to be, but Riddick felt she was everything _he_ wanted to be. He was jealous of Jack in a way. When Riddick was her age, he was spending two years in a slam for murdering a woman and for the suspected murder of four others. But Jack was at a point where she had a choice to veer away from Riddick's lifestyle. He wished that he were in her position again.. But of course he'd never say that aloud.

He leaned forward and picked up Jack in his arms. Jack mumbled something in her sleep, but she didn't wake at being picked up. Riddick, still on the alert for Mercs, he walked around the back of Imam's house and in the back door.

………………………

Riddick felt like he was a high school kid, sneaking in after a late night. Imam was standing in the back lounge room, waiting for Riddick and Jack to come home. He stopped just inside the lounge room and raised an eyebrow at the holy man. Seeing Riddick holding a young woman, sleeping peacefully in his arms was not something one saw everyday.

Seeing the holy man's unimpressed look, Riddick joked, "What? I got her home before midnight." Not waiting for the vision of Imam rolling his eyes, Riddick walked across the room, in the direction of Jack's bedroom. The holy man followed quietly behind. The entire house was silent, other than the deep thuds of Riddick's combat boots on the floorboards as the two men walked down the dark hallway to Jack's room. The holy man had prepared himself to say a few things to Riddick, but he was almost afraid to stand up to Riddick. But seeing Riddick now, showed a softer side to the big guy. Watching the back of Riddick as they walked down the hallway reminded the holy man of a big cat, prowling gracefully without missing a beat. The holy man understood why Jack had taken a liking to Riddick. He was a man of charisma. There was just something about this man that made eyes draw towards him. The irony was that Riddick was always trying to be invisible.

Riddick walked into Jack's room and lay her down gently on her bed. He then turned to see the holy man was standing in the doorway. Imam took a step back and made room for Riddick to leave the room. When Riddick passed him, Imam took it upon himself to cover Jack with the blanket that was folded at the foot of her bed. He then Followed Riddick into the kitchen.

"What do you think you are doing, Mr. Riddick?" Imam asked as he watched Riddick look through the cupboards.

"Looking for something to eat," Riddick replied, not bothering to turn around and look at Imam.

"I mean, what do you think you are doing with Jack?"

Riddick found himself an energy bar and sat himself down on a stool at the counter and began to eat. "I ain't doing nothing with the girl."

Imam sat himself down next to the murderer, feeling no fear as Riddick has been good to them since they got to New Mecca. "The blood on her boots. Teaching her how to shoot. Mr. Riddick, correct me if I'm wrong, but to me is seems like Jack wants to be exactly-"

"Like me?" Riddick cut him off.

Imam sighed and leaned his elbows on the counter top, clasping his hands together. His sigh was all Riddick needed in reply.

"You think she's going to turn out to be a killer like me." Riddick commented.

"I know you think it too."

Riddick put down the rest of the energy bar and stood from his seat. "That ain't gonna happen, Holy man."

"I don't think telling Jack that is going to be so easy."

"Nothing's ever easy."

Imam also stood from his seat. Before Riddick left the room, Imam had another question to ask. It was something he hoped he wouldn't even need to ask Riddick, but now that Jack was getting close to the big lug, it was an issue needing addressing. "_Do_ you plan on taking Jack with you?"

Riddick shook his head and walked over to the door. He stopped in the doorway and turned around to face Imam. "She has a chance for a better life. She deserves to live her life like a normal teenager."

"So.. you're leaving her here?" Imam asked, unsure of what Riddick meant.

Riddick nodded. "She just doesn't know it yet," he replied and walked out of the room.

Imam sat back down on his stool in relief. "Thank God," he sighed to himself.

--------------------

Riddick walked back to his room and closed the door behind him. He wasn't used to so much human company for so long. He needed time to think. He needed time to be alone. He'd spent so much time with Jack that he hadn't been able to think about his preparations for leaving the planet. He knew he had to commandeer a ship, but wasn't sure how or when just yet. He also knew he had to go out and buy more ammunition, but knowing Jack, she'd want to tag along for that again.

Riddick lay atop of his bed and rolled onto his stomach. His eyes were sore and were begging to close. He rolled off the bed and stood. He pulled his goggles from around his neck and over his head, and placed them on the nightstand. He then pulled away the blankets. He then got in under the covers, boots on and all. He was a man always prepared for an ambush. He got so used to sleeping fully clothed, with his boots on, that if he didn't, he wouldn't be able to fall asleep anymore. If anything happened that needed him to fight or run away quickly, getting dressed and putting on his boots would just take too long.

The silver-eyed man rolled onto his back, dreaming up a plan of how to leave the planet and of friends he's made without realising it.

------------------

Riddick barely heard the light tapping on his bedroom door. It was the faint sound of Jack's knuckles rapping on his door, softly enough so that if he were awake, he'd hear it, but miss it if he were asleep.

"Riddick?" Jack whispered through the door. "You awake?" Riddick didn't answer. He was still waking up from his slumber and he only managed to open his right eye just a crack. He watched as his bedroom door opened and Jack's bald head appeared. She peered from around the door and looked right at him. When she saw the glisten of his silver eye staring back at her, she smiled warmly at him. "Hey!" She greeted cheerily. She then took it as her cue to open the door all the way and walk into his room. "I'm going out. How do I look?" Jack asked, twirling around before facing Riddick.

Realising what she was wearing, Riddick opened both eyes and checked out the younger girl. She wore dark brown knee-high boots and a navy-blue and white plaid miniskirt that fanned out and lifted itself slightly as she twirled around. His eyes rode up to see her wearing a black backless halter top. Her bald head did not stunt her beauty one bit as she smiled warmly at her idol. "So, what do you think?" she said, walking over to Riddick's bedside so he can get a better look.

Riddick knew better but he couldn't help but want to be honest with the 15 year old before him. "I think it'll give men the wrong idea," He replied stoicly, not wanting Jack to know that he found her attractive –even if she was still a kid in his eyes.

"Oh," Jack playfully raised an eyebrow at him. "And what 'idea' is that?" She asked, sitting on the side of his bed, next to him. Riddick smirked. He knew when someone was playing with him and for some reason she wasn't afraid of him. Not even a bit. And Riddick was prepared to take advantage of that fact.

"That you're wanting to be fucked," Riddick said bluntly as he stared at her bare knees and upper thighs.

"You sound like my father," Jack groaned.

Riddick bit his bottom lip for a moment as he savoured the sight before him. He had a young woman in front of him, barely dressed and was sitting on his bedside, so close that he could smell her fruity perfume. His male libido was kicking in and he was horny as hell. Being the confident man that he was, Riddick moved his right hand off the side of the bed and up onto the side of Jack's knee. He used his thumb and began to caress Jack's leg just above her knee. "Thank God, I'm not," Riddick replied and finally looked up into Jack's eyes. Unlike the last time he made a move on her, Jack's eyes showed no fear. Rather, the twinkle in her eye showed Riddick that she longed for him. Riddick smirked and took it as his cue to inch his hand slowly up the side of her silky-skinned thigh. Jack's breath began to deepen and lengthen. Riddick could feel her legs begin to tremble as his hand moved around to her inner thigh. Riddick groaned in frustration as he felt himself go hard as his hand made its way up her thigh and reached the cotton of Jack's underwear.

"No.. You're.." Jack stammered as her breath stopped when Riddick's fingers reacher her underwear, "Not.."

Riddick was so sexually frustrated that he needed to release some of it already. In one smooth move, he quickly grabbed Jack around the waist and threw her on the bed beside him. He then rolled over on top of her.

"Riddick.." Jack whispered. She brought her left hand up to Riddick's cheek and stared into his silver eyes. "Where can I get eyes like that?" She smiled as she asked a question that showed Riddick how much she envied him.

Riddick turned his face and playfully bit Jack's wrist. He then moved down and started kissing Jack's exposed neck. His pants felt too tight for his liking and he was aching for some release. Hearing no objections on Jack's end, he lifted himself off Jack for a moment as he manoeuvred her legs so that they were spread and up around his hips.

Jack groaned as she felt herself graze up against Riddick's rock hard groin. Riddick could barely believe her aching for him, after she'd freaked out when he made a move on her earlier. He moved his hands up the side of her body and up to her neck.

Only seconds ago, he ached for her.. and now something snapped. Something was happening to him. It felt like a switch had just flicked. He looked at her and lusted for something else from her. He lusted after the rush that came with the kill. Riddick watched as his hand wrapped itself around her neck and squeeze her –hard. Jack could barely spatter out his name as her ability to breath was hindered. Riddick felt like he'd detached from his body and he began to watch himself lift Jack out from under him and throw her off the side of the bed. He watched on as Jack's body flew across the room and onto the floor like a lifeless doll.

He was now standing on the other side of the room. He could still see himself sitting on the bed, looking over at Jack's limp body. "Hey!" Riddick yelled out at himself. "Hey!! What are you doing?!" Riddick ran over at the bed and leaped over at himself, attempting to jump on him –but Riddick flew right through him like a ghost. Riddick landed on the ground next to Jack and quickly to his feet. "What the..?" He said to himself as he couldn't help looking at his hands to see if he was see-through.

He quickly got back to the issue at hand and looked over at Jack. Her eyes were blank and lifeless and she was staring right at him. It scared him to see Jack like this. He touched Jack's cheek with the back of his fingers. She was still warm. He turned around to see what his other self was doing. The other Riddick was sitting on the bed, staring at Jack with cold, heartless eyes. Riddick was almost afraid of what he was seeing. This is how he looked to all his victims. The cold, piercing eyes with a thirst for the kill.

"What did you DO?!" Riddick yelled at his alter-self. He felt his heart ache over what had just happened. He'd faught to protect Jack and now she was dead.

The other Riddick ignored his yelling and got up off the bed. Riddick watched as the alter-Riddick stalked over to Jack's lifeless body and crouch down beside her. "Why did you do that!?" Riddick yelled at his alter-ego.

"She's making you weak," replied the alter-Riddick with a deep rumble in his voice. "She's making you think twice about everything we've done." Then he looked up at Riddick. "And I can't have that.."

Riddick took a step back at those words. He then realised what was happening. He'd split in two. He, the human half, watched on as his animal side reached over to grab Jack's lifeless neck again. Riddick watched on, unable to stop the animal-Riddick from punching Jack's face over and over again. It was like when Jack had killed the arms-dealer earlier. The sounds of bones crushing and blood splattering made Riddick feel physically ill.

"I need this!" Riddick yelled at his alter-self. "Without her, I'm.. I'm YOU!"

Riddick's eyes opened and he shot up in bed. He was sweaty all over and his breath sounded like he'd just run a marathon. He'd had nightmares before, but this one was different.. _very_ different.

He got up off the bed and over to the door. He stopped for a moment, wondering why he was going to do this to begin with. He had to check up on Jack. He knew it was just a dream, but he needed to reassure himself. He opened the door and walked out into the hall. All the lights were off and it was pitch black outside, no problem for Riddick. He stalked down the hall, careful to not let his combat boots make too much noise as he walked across to Jack's room. He stealthily opened the door to her room and peered inside. His night-vision came in handy as Jack's room was as dark as the rest of the house.

Jack was sleeping soundly and very much alive.

'He was right. She's making me soft. And I can't afford to be soft.'

----------

**Author's notes: **tum tah tah taaah! Okay I had a totally different idea for that last nightmare but it sort of wrote itself and I hope I didn't confuse you all! If I did, just ask and I shall answer! Yay! I tried to touch up on everything ya'll have been asking for, so I hope you all enjoy! **Don't forget to review! I wanna know whatcha all think!** Hate it or love it?! Only a few of chapters left!!!


	4. Author's notes: explaining my angle

Hey guys.. here's a review I got. Until I can get the next chapter up, I wanted to show all you guys this so I can explain my recent chapter a bit more.

**Reviewer: vinlovedroolwish**

Date: 2007-07-05

**Review: below**

_Okay, great story. I love Riddick the way you have written him. I hate it when authors turn him into this mushy, talkative sensitive soulmate--yuck! I wasn't crazy about the dream sequence, because: 1-the shock and awe effect was lost when two Riddicks showed up. I think it would have been better to go with more smut, have Riddick kill Jack at the 'climax', then wake up freaked out, wondering if it actually happened or not. More dramatic that way I think. And 2-I just didn't like the dream because it confirmed the fact that Riddick is going to leave her there. Another part of the story I wanted to comment on was Riddick standing behind Jack in the bathroom when he says "The first kill is always the hardest." I wanted Jack to walk past him and look up and say "Wasn't the first." I think it would have surprised Riddick and given a mysterious twist to Jack's character. That would have given you great material for a flashback into Jack's history and a very good reason for her to a runaway and want to learn how to survive life on the run from Riddick. Like I said the story is wonderful and I am sure you have the plot already worked out in your head. All my thoughts are meant to be helpful and I hope they encourage you to keep working on the story. Take my ideas and run with them, or don't, but keep writing. I can't wait for the next chapter._

**My reply**

hi there! thanks for the review! i loved your ideas.. especially the one about it maybe not being jack's first kill.. i thought about maybe adding it in somewhere.. but im basing my story on jack being an innocent teen and riddick the hardass you see in the first movie.. it was a great idea tho.. i mite try brush up on jack's past a bit in the next chapter so thanks for the idea!

as for jack being left behind.. my only defence for doing that to you (and the other readers) is that my story is aiming to bridge the gap between the 2 movies.. so we know she gets left behind. But seeing how angry she is at him in COR, im trying to build up to that too. thanks again for the review! Also, I'm hoping to have the next chapter up in a couple of weeks.. mum bought me a new laptop for my bday (YAY MUM!) so I can sit in bed and type! Don't worry, there's still a few more chapters left in this story! I wanna make it end with a bang, a few tears and a few laughs.. if everything goes according to plan! Hahaha so stay tuned!


	5. ch4: all a man needs is a gun & his ship

**Author's notes:** hey all! Sorry for the mondo delay.. ive been having some MAJOR technology difficulties and only now just got my laptop back from the repairers! Thank u all for the amazingly kind reviews! I'm glad ya'll think my story is different coz that's what I was going for. Also, there is one review I'd like to answer to. I know there are a lot of stories out there with Jack being a psycho-kitty but remember in Pitch Black she's this innocent thing.. my story is trying to bridge the gap between that innocent teen and the angry-biAtch she is in COR. Also with us already knowing Riddick's going to leave jack behind.. it doesn't wrek the story coz if he took her with her.. then it would go against the story we already know in COR.

Anywho, enough of my ramblings.. im glad you guys are liking the story so far and yes, bring on the constructive criticisms!

* * *

**Ch4: All a man needs is a gun and his ship**

Riddick, had gone back to bed after he checked up on Jack. He lay in bed, but found that after an hour of thinking, he could not sleep. After the nightmare and thinking too hard about what he needed to do to get off New Mecca, his mind was racing and he was unable to relax. Deciding that he wasn't going to get back to sleep again anytime soon, he got up. He picked up his goggles and put them around his neck. It was still the middle of the night, but he took them anyway. Walking quietly out of his room, Riddick made an effort not to make any noise as he walked down the dark hallway. He didn't want to have Jack asking him to go out to the market with him again. Things got too messy last time. However, hearing a noise down the hall, Riddick's aims at being quiet weren't relevant anymore.

"No! Daddy, STOP!"

Riddick looked down the hall, although the room were dark, he saw everything in a light shade of purple. The screams were coming from Jack's room. Jack had mentioned at breakfast that she'd been bruised by another man, her father made perfect sense. 'No wonder this girl has a daddy complex', Riddick thought to himself. His curiosity getting the better of him, Riddick continued his walk down the hall to Jack's room.

Riddick could see the holy man exiting his own bedroom and stopped when he saw Riddick walking down the hall towards his and Jack's rooms. Imam just nodded at Riddick and went back into his own room. 'Somehow he thinks _I'm_ going to be better at checking up on Jack.. He's mad..'

"No! No more!"

Riddick's attentions went back to the screaming girl. He stood at her door and turned the handle, unsure of what to expect when he opened the door. Jack was thrashing about in her bed. Her crimson covers were twisted as if they were binding her to the bed.

"I said I'm leaving!" Jack said forcefully as she gripped her sheets. "I don't care!"

Riddick didn't even realise that he was walking over to Jack's bed until he was standing right over the bald girl. He watched her with curious eyes. He'd had his own nightmares before, and had seen others have nightmares. But for the first time, he actually _wondered_ what had happened in the past to cause someone else's nightmares. Specifically, what moment was Jack dreaming of and what was being said to her in between the sentences she was calling out?

"I said get away from me!" Jack screamed as she shot up in bed, her fist flying towards Riddick.

Acting on pure reflex, Riddick grabbed Jack's flying fist with his left hand and her shoulder with his right. Jack's eyes opened and stared at Riddick with fearful eyes. She sat, stiff and staring at Riddick, wondering what had just happened. If Riddick didn't see her chest rise and fall under her heavy breathing, he would have thought she'd frozen into place.

"Riddick!?" Jack finally asked, realising that the large man in front of her wasn't her father. "What are you doing here?"

Riddick knew that if he were her ideal man, he would sit down on the bed and hug Jack. But Riddick was not accustomed to such tenderness, so he did what he knew. He continued to stand over her. He finally released her hand and shoulder, and Jack sat up on her own. "It was your father wasn't it?" Riddick asked, wanting to ease his curiosity.

Jack lowered her outstretched right arm and placed it back in her lap. "Huh?"

"Was he the one who you ran away from?" Riddick asked again, being more specific.

Jack looked at Riddick for a moment, unsure of how much information she wanted to divulge about herself. Although she remembered her nightmare so vividly, she wasn't sure what Riddick had heard or why he was even there to begin with!

"What are you doing here?" Jack asked, hoping this one question might provide her with all the answers.

"You were screaming out. Telling your 'daddy' to get away from you," Riddick explained, using a teasing tone as he said 'daddy'. "I came in to see what you were yelling for and saw you having a nightmare."

Jack looked away, down at the crimson sheets. "Oh."

Riddick could see that she was embarrassed at him seeing her like this. He knew the girl felt she needed to be strong around him. 'Why does she keep wanting to be so much like me?' Riddick was still curious about Jack and what caused her to be the runaway she is now, hoping it would explain why she acted the way she did towards him. He placed his fingers under her chin and turned her head so that she was looking up at him again. Feeling her skin with so tender at the touch, made Riddick remember the dream he'd just had, before it turned into a nightmare. He tried to push away those thoughts as he removed his hand from Jack's face. "What happened to your father?"

Jack's eyes widened in fear again for a moment, before she got angry and looked away from Riddick. "Nothing happened," she replied angrily, looking out the window.

Riddick crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow at the young woman. No doubt she probably only saw his silhouette and the glint of his silver eyes, as the moonlight streamed in her bedroom window. However, Riddick could see her as if it were clear as day. Her white tank top had ridden up slightly, exposing her belly button. Riddick looked lower at the small shorts she'd worn to bed. The sheets covered her legs, but Riddick couldn't help but think back to his dream when he rubbed his hand up Jack's inner thigh. He had to get his mind of sex. Jack was just too young for Riddick to corrupt like that.

"You lunged at me before you woke up." Riddick stated bluntly.

Jacked turned towards Riddick with a furious speed. She noticed he didn't flinch when she got up out of bed furiously and stood toe-to-toe with the man before her. "He got what he deserved!" Jack yelled at Riddick. Standing closer to him let her make out his features with more ease. He had a smirk on his face and she could see it. It was then that Jack noticed just _how_ close to Riddick she was standing. If either moved forward just one inch, their bodies would be pressed up against each other.

Riddick looked down into Jack's angry, chocolate-brown eyes. She had a fire within her that he had yet to meet properly. He secretly wished to meet the woman that Jack was to grow into, with this angry fire burning in her eyes. He too then realised how close she was standing. He also realised she could see the smirk he had on his face. "You smell like strawberries," Riddick commented, as he cocked his head to one side.

Jack took a step back, scared that her crush on the man would turn into something more. Even though he'd freaked her out the other day, she still did find him attractive. "It must be the soap that Imam gave me," Jack stammered as she walked back over to her bed and sat on the edge.

Riddick wasn't sure why, but he too sat on the side of the bed, next to Jack. He leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees and clasped his hands together. "There's nothing wrong with defending yourself from someone who is trying to hurt you," He said in his deep, gruff voice. Riddick was taken back by how caring he was to Jack. To Riddick, this is the closest he'd ever had to a heart-to-heart he'd ever had with someone.

Jack nodded, but did not look convinced. "Stay with me?" Jack asked. Riddick looked over at her and raised his eyebrow at her again. "Just until I fall asleep?"

Riddick found himself nodding to her request, before he could even comprehend what she was asking of him. She wasn't just wanting Riddick to watch her, she was asking him to be there for her and protect her from the scary moments of her life.

Riddick sat on the edge of the bed and watched over Jack until she fell asleep, just as he'd said he would do. Convinced she was now asleep, Riddick got up off the bed and walked over to the door. He noticed out of the corner of his eye, the goggles Jack had created to look more like Riddick.

'This girl will be the death of me.'

* * *

Riddick walked back over to his room. He picked up his large black cloak off the end of his bed and walked out, towards the front door. He decided that he should take this opportunity to go out into town without Jack. The last time he took her out 'shopping' she killed the arms dealer and then used up half of Riddick's ammo when she asked him to teach her how to shoot. He figured it might be easier and quicker to go it alone this time.

Riddick made his way back to the house of the dead arms dealer. He wasn't sure what to expect, but he wasn't surprised when he found that someone else had raided the room of the now free ammunition. Riddick surveyed the room to see if anyone was still around. The bloodied body of the arms dealer still lay on the floor. The blood that had pooled around his lifeless body had turned black and had begun to dry on the concrete floor. Riddick didn't take a second glance and the body on the floor. It was not the first time he'd seen a dead and mangled body –and it won't be the last. He then looked around to see what weaponry was left.

Someone had definitely been there since Riddick was last there. All the heavy artillery was gone. Anything large, expensive and ultra dangerous had been stolen. All that remained were smaller hand-held guns, grenades and shivs. Riddick packed what he could into his duffel bag and headed out into town. He still hadn't been able to look for a ship just yet.

* * *

Jack could hear the voices of people out her second storey window. She slowly opened her eyes, and found it was still dark. Riddick was no longer sitting at the foot of her bed. Jack sat up in bed and looked out the window to see where the voices were coming from. In the street below were two men. One dressed in scraggy clothing with a head of blonde dreadlocks, the other was definitely a Merc. Jack stared at the mercenary. It was dark, but the few lamps lit outside allowed her to see his blonde hair, scruffy beard and the rifles he had pinned to his waist-side.

The merc was showing something to the man with dreadlocks. Jack could make out that it was a piece of paper, but they were too far for her to see what was on the page. The man with hippie shook his head at the merc and walked off.

"I wonder what that was all about?" Jack asked herself. 'He can't be after Riddick. No-one knows we're here!'

Jack sprung out of bed and put on her cargoes and her picked up her boots. She walked barefoot out into the hallway and towards the front door as to not wake the holy man, and Riddick, whom she thought was still sleeping in his room.

* * *

Riddick walked across the city, around the buildings surrounding the docking bays where the star ships dock. Riddick was alive today because he knew how to avoid the busy places. Looking up at the rooftops, Riddick saw a ladder scaling up the side of one of the shops he walked past. He climbed it with ease and walked along the rooftops instead of on the ground where he'd be noticed more easily. He stalked across four rooftops until he found the ideal spot. When he found that he had a clear highly-perched view of the docks, he crouched on the edge of the roof and surveyed the docks for potential ships to escape with.

The rooftop that Riddick found ideal, just happened to be the after-hours nest of marijuana users. Riddick could smell the remnants of the hallucinogen in the air. The hippies haven't been gone from their nest for long. There were blankets and pillows sprawled out all over the flat concrete roof, however there was no-one there except for Riddick. Riddick looked at his watch. It was 5am and the sun would be rising soon. He had to act fast and scope out the ships in the docks while he could.

"I gotta get out of here before someone realises I'm here.." Riddick thought to himself.

Riddick looked out at the docks and surveyed the ships that were in the docks. He also sat silently, watching who walks in and out of the ships. It needed to be a ship that was only manned by one or two people. Anything too big will attract too much attention. It needed to be able to have the engine power to get him out of sticky situations.. and most of all, it needed to be big enough to house a 15 year old girl..just in case he changed his mind.

* * *

Jack slowly closed the front door behind her, not wanting to wake the holy man. She quickly put on her combat boots and ran down the street in the direction she thought she saw the Merc went. She wasn't entirely sure why she decided to follow the merc. Maybe it was curiosity, maybe it was 'cause she thought that's what Riddick would do.

She tried her best to stay within the shadows and to stay as quiet as possible. She passed some homeless men sleeping on the street, and tried not to wake them. She may have already killed a man, but Jack was still an amateur at hand-to-hand combat. She quickened her pace, unsure of how far the merc could have gotten by the time she got out of the house and put her boots on.

Jack jogged down two more streets before she spotted the merc. He was showing a nobleman a piece of paper, like he did with the guy with the dreadlocks that she saw earlier. She stopped within the shadows of the building on the corner. She watched as the merc stood across the street, receiving a shaking head from the nobleman. From that distance, Jack couldn't make out who was on the piece of paper, but she could tell that it was a photo of somebody. She watched on as the nobleman walked off and the merc stood alone in the street. Suddenly, the dirty-blonde-haired man spun around and looked right at Jack. Jack gasped and tried to hide in the shadows, unsure if he saw her or not. Her question was answered when she saw him turn around and walk over towards her. "Shit!" Jack groaned to herself as she turned on her heel to run back home.

The last thing Jack thought of was treading quietly around the homeless men. She could hear the pounding of combat boots in the alleyway behind her. She didn't dare look behind her, fearful of how close the merc might be, if it was indeed _him_ that was chasing her. 'Shit! Shit! Shit!' Jack thought to herself. She stupidly forgot to bring a weapon of sorts, despite Riddick telling her she had more power within her legs than she did with weaponry. The other end of the alley way was getting nearer. Jack was thankful that there was enough light within the alley so that she could see the homeless sleeping on the ground to leap over them as she ran through.

"Gotcha!" The merc yelled as he grabbed Jack by the back of her tank top. Jack yelped as he put his arms around her shoulders and spun her around and pushed her against the brick wall of the building. "You're just a kid!" He grumbled.

Jack, frozen in fear, took in the merc's face. His dirty-blonde hair caught the limited rays of light streaming in from the main street. He had a scruffy goatee and he smelled of leather and gunpowder. It reminded her of how Johns smelled.. before Riddick sliced him open.

"Why are you following me!" He yelled, waking one or two of the homeless men in the alley.

Jack felt tears welling up in her eyes. She was scared, and ashamed to be so fearful. 'Riddick doesn't cry,' Jack thought to herself. "I'm not following you!" Jack mumbled, trying to not sound so afraid of the larger man.

"Bullshit!" He yelled. "I've noticed you following me for three streets now!" He grumbled, pushing her a little harder into the wall. "So tell me, why are you following me!?"

Sprung. Jack racked her brain, trying to figure out what to say to him that wouldn't get her shot. So she told him the first thing that came to mind. "I saw you out my bedroom window. I want to be a merc one day, so I thought I'd come out and see what you do," She replied, looking into his blue eyes, hoping he'd think she were telling the truth.

He looked at her for a moment, as if deciding what to do, before letting Jack go. She rubbed the back of her left shoulder, which had hit a jagged edge of brick when the merc pushed her into the wall. "_You?_ You wanna be a merc, eh?" The man replied with a smirk on his face. "No offence, sweety, but you're a bit of a runt."

Jack crossed her arms and gave a dirty look to the merc. "I'm still growing..." she replied, unimpressed.

The merc laughed at her. "If you were maybe 5 years older, I'd consider your request to join me. But for now, how about you help me out here and then I'll let you go so you can continue dreaming about being a merc," He teased.

Jack watched as he pulled out the piece of paper from his back pocket and showed it to Jack. It was a photo, just like Jack thought.

"Tell me, kid. You seen this guy around here?"

Jack's eyes widened when she saw the photo. "Er.. No.. No, I haven't, Sorry."

* * *

Riddick spotted one or two ships that he believed would be ideal to steal. He already had his weapons with him and his goggles. He was ready to leave _now_. The ship he particularly had his eye on was a small, one-man ship. It was big enough to have a separate bedroom from the bridge and Riddick watched as it was refuelled by the workers at the docks. That meant that the owner would be returning soon to take off. Riddick had to work fast. He hated to admit it, but the ship looked familiar, like he'd been chased by it before. "Fuck'n Mercs.. They all start to look the same.."

Riddick stood, picking up his backpack as he did. He figured that now would be the best time to steal the ship, leaving the merc behind on the planet. Riddick was sure that no-one would know he was on the planet, but he wanted to play it safe anyway. He knew that if he left now, Jack would be pissed off with him, but he found the opportunity to leave right now were more important to him than going back to get Jack.

Riddick watched the dock workers finish refuelling the one-man ship and leave the ship. Now was the time to move. Riddick put the dufflebag on his back and turned around to leave the five-storey building to go down to the docks. It was then that he heard someone else jumping off the adjoining roof, onto the rooftop he was standing on. Riddick grabbed his handgun and pointed it at the new intruder.

As soon as the newcomer saw what was pointed at him, he raised his hands."Whoah, dude! I come in peace!"

Riddick assessed the other man. He was thin, wearing unwashed clothing and had a head covered in dreadlocks. "Stupid hippies," Riddick mumbled as he put his gun back into its holster.

The hippie lowered his hands. "Hey, that's not nice, man. I just came to hang out here," he said as he picked up a bong off the floor. "Wanna hit, man?" Riddick shook his head and figured he better leave soon to catch that ship he'd had his eye on. Riddick walked to the edge of the roof where the hippie had come from so that he can get to the docks.

Just as Riddick passed the hippie, he noticed that the hippie was studying Riddick's face. "Hey, man. You look familiar.." Riddick slowed down and stopped in front of the hippie as he heard this. "There was some guy asking about you before.."

'Shit!' Riddick thought to himself. He didn't want to have people on his tail already. It'd only been days since he escaped and he barely had any time to relax. Riddick needed to know who was asking about him, and he needed to know now. Before the hippie could react, Riddick lunged towards the hippie, grabbed the thin man around the neck and pushed him towards the edge of the rooftop. He lifted the hippie off the ground and had the man dangling from the fifth-storey rooftop, being held up only by Riddick's powerful grasp around his neck. "Who was asking about me!??" Riddick growled, his deep, bellowing voice showed that he meant business.

The hippie dropped the glass bong in shock and a second or two later, they could hear it smash on the ground below. Riddick was waiting for the frightened man to hurry up and answer his question. The smell of marijuana radiated off the hippie and the smell made Riddick even more impatient. "_Who_ was asking about me!??" Riddick yelled again. This time, he pulled the hippie in close so they were face to face, with the hippie still dangling dangerously off the edge. The ground below was almost deserted, due to the time of night it was.

"It.. It was just some dude," the hippie stammered.

Riddick lifted the hippie up again so that Riddick's arm was fully extended upwards. "You're going to have to do better than that," he growled at the skinny man.

"Okay! Okay! He was a Merc!! He was showing a bunch of people a photo of you, asking if anyone had seen you," the hippie explained. "But I didn't say nothin'. I only just met you now!" The hippie explained, hoping to be let go.

Riddick was pissed. He didn't know what made mercs think he was on New Mecca. Maybe it had something to do with Johns needing to take Riddick to New Mecca before he sold him off to a slammer. Riddick figured that Johns would have had an accomplice waiting for them. It made sense. Who would try transport Riddick alone to a slammer anyway? Riddick never went away quietly. Everyone knew that.

"What was his name?" Riddick asked, this time he asked a little more calmly. The hippie hoped that this would guarantee that he'd be let go by the larger man. "He said his name was... Tombs," The hippie said.

Unexpectedly to the hippie, Riddick did not let him back onto the ledge. Instead, the hippie suddenly felt himself falling as Riddick let him go off the side of the roof. The hippie's screams could be heard for a second or two until it all went silent.

"Fuck," Riddick said aloud. The silver-eyed man looked over at the docks once more, seeing the one-man ship was still there. He then turned and ran across the rooftops back the way he came, hoping to reach the docks before the merc could find him. Riddick's black cloak rising and falling as he leapt from rooftop to rooftop was the only indication that it was indeed a man under the gliding figure that seemed to speed across the rooftops like a ghost in the morning darkness.

**

* * *

**

**author's notes:** sorry again for leaving ya'll hanging again! I got a sudden idea to spice up the story! Alright, uni finishes in a week so let's hope I find time to get another chapter underway soon! Alright, lemme know whatchas think! I'm really interested to see if I still have any fans waiting around for my story! Ahahah! Virg out!


	6. ch5: if you cant hack it, then leave!

**Author's notes: Wow! **Long time no see, eh?? I've almost finished uni so I finally have all this time on my hands to resume my unfinished stories! And I'm determined to get them all finished! So I hope you, my fans, hath not forgotten me and my sexy story! Don't forget to review- Im hoping I still have the gift (so lemme know by reviewing!)

**Ch5: If you can't hack it, then leave!**

"If you still wanna be a merc, come find me in five or so years, kid," The merc said. "Maybe I'll take you on my team," He smirked as he began to walk away.

Jack realised she'd forgotten to find out who this man was, since he was making it known that he was looking for Riddick. "Hey!" Jack called out. The man turned around. "What's your name?" Jack asked, at least this way he might think she was wanting to really come looking for him, instead of wanting to warn Riddick.

The older man smiled, "Tombs."

Jack nodded at him and he continued his way down the dark alleyway and out onto the street. She waited for him to be completely out of sight before she sprinted back home. "I have to warn Riddick!"

Jack ran as fast as her skinny legs could take her. She didn't care this time if she woke anyone as she stormed into the house. "Riddick!!" Jack called out as she slammed the front door shut behind her and ran upstairs to his room. "Riddick!" she called out again, but no reply. The holy man came running out of his room to see what the ruckus was.

"Child!" He whispered forcefully, unsure if he too would be waking Riddick up. "What are you doing up at this early hour!?"

Jack continued running to Riddick's room, answering Imam's question at the same time. "There's a merc out there looking for Riddick! I have to warn him!" Just then, Jack reached Riddick's room. She stopped outside the door and realised it was ajar. 'Why would Riddick leave his door open?' Jack thought to herself. Jack pushed the door further open and her eyes widened when she saw that Riddick wasn't there. His goggles weren't perched on the chair next to the bed and the duffle bag was gone too.

Imam ran over to the room and stood behind Jack. He looked over her shoulder and also saw that Riddick was gone.

"He left?" Jack asked aloud. She was hurt and didn't know what to think. "Maybe he went out to get more supplies?" She didn't want to believe that he would leave New Mecca without her.

Imam put a hand on Jack's shoulder. "I'm sorry, child." He said soothingly. "He is not the type that works well with others."

Jack brushed off Imam and moved her shoulder away from his hand. "No! He _hasn't_ left! He _wouldn't_ leave without me!" She yelled. Jack dodged around the holy man and ran down the stairs, towards the front door. "I'm gonna go find him!"

"Child!" Imam called out but it was too late. Jack had already left, he front door swinging around with the desert wind outside.

--

Riddick stalked around the back of the docks. With a merc on his tail, he couldn't afford to be recognised when he was this close to taking a ship and leaving New Mecca. He kept his hood low, but high enough so that he could see where he was going and to keep an eye on the people walking around the docks.

Even though it was still dark, the spotlights surrounding the docks made everything as bright as daylight. Riddick slipped on his dark goggles and stalked around each ship, careful to not be noticed. Other than refeulers, and the odd maintenance worker, the only civilians walking around the docks were the odd pilot or two. Riddick saw one standing outside his large merchant ship, having a smoke. His deep blue cape and perfectly groomed hair showed that this guy had money, and power. Riddick took a look at the ship that the merchant was leaning back on as he smoked. It would definitely grab more attention than the one-man merc ship that, no doubt, belonged to Tombs.

The large ship was definitely big enough to have a couple of dorm rooms, along with a kitchen and a large loading bay. Not to mention rich merchants always had the latest technology in their cockpits. The man had no idea that if Riddick wanted to, he'd be dead on the floor within seconds. Lucky for the merchant, Riddick had his eyes on the smaller ship. Riddick stepped back into the shadows and walked around the back of the ship to get to Tomb's ship.

He was almost there. It was almost over. Riddick would be off this rock and free again in no time. He had all his ammo and weapons in his back pack. It was then that Riddick realised that he only had a small stash of food in the backpack, as the two large bags were left at Imam's house. For the price of freedom, Riddick was willing to forgo food for a day or two. His eyes were fixated on the one-man ship. All he could think of was the idea of freedom again. No more slams and nothing but sandy beaches. While he watched the ship get closer and closer, Riddick forgot all about Jack and her pleas for him to take her with him.

As he walked closer to the ship, steps away from boarding it, he heard a familiar voice.

"Let me go!"

Riddick turned to see where the voice was coming from. That's when he caught sight of her, and realised he missed his opportunity to leave New Mecca. "Shit!"

--

Jack had always been a long distance runner. After running out of Imam's house, she ran hard and fast towards the market. She wasn't sure where Riddick had gone, so she guessed. She'd used up some of his ammo, so she ran towards the market. The 'night time' market where she had killed the arms dealer was just beyond the usual market.

Jack could see the horizon was filled with pink and red streaks. The sun would rise soon. She could see she was getting closer to the market where she'd originally stolen money from the random man. The impending sunrise made it easier for Jack to see where she was going. As she neared that the market she noticed shop keepers were slowly opening up to be ready for the morning rush.

Jack stopped as she reached the centre of the market to catch her breath. She took the time to look around. No sign of Riddick. Then again, Riddick wouldn't be walking around the marketplace when it wasn't even open. Jack tried to figure out where he could have gone. She looked down the path, beyond the marketplace. She could see the bright spotlights of the docks. "Of course!" she said to herself as she began to run again.

Jack was surprised when she saw Riddick had left his room without her knowing. But it wasn't until she saw the lights of the docks that she felt like Riddick was really leaving without her. She couldn't let that happen. She wanted to go with him and she urged her skinny legs to get her there faster. It didn't take Jack long to get to the docks. She could hear the sounds of the refuelling trucks and maintenance works as she got closer. She scanned the area for Riddick. "Of course he's going to be hiding in the shadows.."

Jack tried her hardest to think like Riddick. Where would she hide if she were him? What would he be looking at? A ship to steal, of course! She checked out the ships in the docks. After studying the ships in the bays, Jack saw a tiny, one-manned merc ship at the end of the docks. "Bingo!" She said to herself, running towards it. She ran towards the ship, with only the ship in her sights. A stupid mistake on Jack's part was having _only_ the merc ship in her view. Jack didn't even notice the rich merchant that was having a smoke outside his ship. Jack didn't even notice that he was watching her head towards him. Jack didn't even notice that the merchant was the same man that she'd stolen money from only yesterday.

Jack was so worried about Riddick leaving without her, she didn't see the large arm reaching out and grabbing her wrist as she ran past him. She turned in shock to see who had grabbed her, half expecting to see Riddick staring back at her. Unfortunately for Jack, the angry man staring back at her was definitely _not_ Riddick.

"YOU!" The merchant yelled, grabbing Jack on both arms.

Jack's eyes widened in fear, realising exactly who he was. Her arms were being squeezed by the merchant. "Let go of me!" Jack yelled.

The merchant grinned at how he had her so scared and defenceless. "Not until I get my money back! And I'm going to get it back, one way or another!" He yelled, dragging Jack into the shadows behind his ship.

"Get off me!" Jack screamed as she couldn't stop herself from being dragged into the darkness. The merchant shoved her against the metal of the ship's hull, hard; enough to make her groan as her head banged against the ship. Her cheek was pressed against the cold metal and her right arm was being twisted behind her back. Jack wasn't sure what he was planning to do, but she knew it couldn't be good!

The merchant laughed at her attempts to escape his grasp failed. "Get off me, fat head!" Jack squealed. The merchant twisted her arm further and Jack couldn't stop herself from screaming out in pain. She could feel the merchant leaning in against her, his hot breath on her neck. Jack had some idea of what he was planning and it scared her. She closed her eyes, praying for it all to stop. She almost didn't believe it when she heard the sound something crack and felt the merchant's grip on her loosen suddenly.

Jack turned around and saw the merchant on the ground, cupping the side of his face, and Riddick standing above him, rubbing his knuckles. "Riddick!" Jack called out excitedly.

"Your fat head hurt my knuckles," Riddick joked in his deep, gruff voice.

Hearing what Jack had just called out, the merchant's eyes widened in fear. "You're.. You're the one they've been looking for!" He yelped as he tried to back away.

Riddick looked down at the beaten man. He was cupping his cheek with one hand, and trying to crawl away with the other hand. Riddick then looked over at Jack. "Kill him, Jack."

Jack wasn't expecting Riddick to say that. "What?"

Riddick saw that the merchant was stumbling to his feet. So he walked over and grabbed the man by the back of the neck, forcing the man to sit down. "I said kill him," Riddick repeated in all seriousness.

Jack knew this was Riddick's way of testing her. "H.. How..?" Jack said, taking a step back.

Riddick tightened his grip on the squirming man's neck to stop him. "I don't care. Just do it!" He growled at her, noticing her reluctance. "You want to prove to me that you can hack it if I take you with me? _This_ is how!"

Jack realised that Riddick was right. "Hand me your gun?" She asked nervously, holding out her hand.

Riddick handed her the handgun from his side and took a step back from the merchant. He watched as she aimed the gun at the Merchant's head. "Please!" The merchant pleaded, "I have a family.."

Jack's hand began to shake. "I.. I.." She stammered, unsure what to say to the man sitting on the ground in front of her.

Riddick crossed his arms. "Don't think about it. Just do it."

Jack gulped and tried to muster up what strength she could to do this. Her index finger rested on the trigger. All she had to do was squeeze it... That was all she had to do.. If she just squeezed the trigger she could prove to Riddick that she could go with him... If she just pulled that blasted trigger!

Riddick huffed in frustration. "What's taking so long, Jack?" He said, trying to keep his anger down.

Jack didn't notice it before, but her hands were shaking and she now needed both hands to hold the gun. "I.. I don't know.." Jack stuttered.

By now a minute or so had passed and even the merchant was realising that Jack wasn't prepared to pull the trigger. He had started to inch away, slowly, totally forgetting that Riddick was there behind him, waiting impatiently for Jack.

Riddick groaned, knowing full well what was happening. Jack was too chicken-shit to pull the trigger and the merchant was trying to get away. He uncrossed his bulky arms and stalked over to the merchant. In one fluid motion, Riddick walked up behind the merchant, placed his hands around the man's face and turned said head until a loud 'crack' could be heard. Riddick had a dark look in his silver eyes. Jack had seen it in his eyes before. It was the look of a man who had seen murder (and worse) many times before. He and Jack looked down at the limp body of the merchant on the ground between them. His wide eyes seemed fixed and frozen on Jack. It chilled her to the core to have a dead man staring at her. Is this what Riddick lived and saw everyday?

After a moment, Riddick and Jack both looked up from the body and looked at each other. Riddick was mad.. _real_ mad! "You're useless."

Jack felt tears well up in her eyes. "I'm _not_ useless!" Hearing this brought up memories of things her father used to say to her. And Jack did not like that. Not one bit.

Riddick snorted at her comment. "Clearly you're not as hardcore as you think. Go back to the holy man's house and live your life. I'm through with you," Riddick growled as he began to walk off.

But Riddick stopped in his tracks when Jack replied forcefully, "Just because I couldn't kill a guy with a gun? I killed a man yesterday! And I bet it was bloodier than the kills you usually cause!"

Riddick laughed, his gruff voice boomed. "We're not playing 'Who's the better killer'. You killed out of self-defence. And we just found out that you can't kill anyone in cold blood. This lesson just showed both of us that I don't need you."

"Well maybe I need _you_!" Jack yelled out, cupping her mouth in shock when she realised she'd said it.

Riddick snorted. "That's been obvious from the beginning.." Riddick began to walk off but then something out in the docks caught his eye. "Shit!" Riddick growled under his breath as he walked past Jack, looking out at the docks, standing just inside the shadows of the ship. He saw Jack in the corner of his eye, as she had walked over towards him to see what had caught his attention.

"Tombs!" Jack gasped a little too loudly. Riddick, always quick on his feet, wrapped his arm around her waist from behind. He pulled his other arm around her to cover her mouth, while he swiftly pulled her up against his body and pulled her closer into the darkness. Riddick was now leaning back, onto the merchant's ship, with Jack's back pressed firmly against his stomach.

Jack didn't have time to register what he was doing. She was too busy concentrating on The merc heading towards them. She could feel her body moving slowly forwards and back, in time with the rise and fall of Riddick's large chest. When she realised the position Riddick held her in, she forgot all about Tombs and concentrated on what Riddick was doing. He had pulled her off the ground, his strong arm wrapped firmly around her waist, with no sign of letting go. She tried to wriggle free, completely aware of how her teenage hormones were reacting to the feeling of being pressed up against Riddick. Her wriggling was unsuccessful as Riddick only tightened his hold on her. His hand that was placed around her mouth pulled her head back until her head was leaning back on his shoulder. The sudden manoeuvre was Riddick's way of telling her to 'shut up'. When she saw Tombs walking past the dark corridor they were hiding in, she put two and two together. They needed to stay quiet; stay hidden in the shadows until Tombs walked past them in the well-lit docking area.

When Tombs was out of earshot, Riddick loosened his hold on Jack. He didn't say anything as she swiftly turned to look at him with a scowl on her face. "That wasn't necessary, you know!" She growled, trying not to raise her voice so they wouldn't be discovered.

Riddick lowered himself until he was looking directly into her angry eyes. "Like I said, you're useless," he said, realising that he needed her to stay away from him if he was going to be able to escape from the planet unnoticed. She'd just proven to him that she was a liability. He then looked around the corner and Jack followed his line of sight. Tombs was walking right up to his one-man ship. He stretched his arms out and let out a loud yawn. It was obvious he was planning on going to sleep.

Jack let out a relieved sigh. Tombs wasn't going anywhere but to bed. He was most likely out all night trying to find Riddick. Riddick glared at Jack for a moment and then began to walk further into the shadows, around the back of the docks without her. "Hey!" Jack called out into the darkness where Riddick disappeared into. "Where are you going?"

For a second there, Jack thought that Riddick had left. But then she heard his deep growl, "To wait for Tombs to leave his ship."

Jack smiled at the darkness. Riddick wasn't going anywhere.. yet. "Can I help?"

Jack heard a deep chuckle from the darkness. Then Riddick suddenly appeared in front of Jack, walking up to her. "I thought we discussed how useless you are.." He said calmly. He walked up to her and crossed his arms. He cocked his head to the side and looked down at Jack. "Unless you're planning on helping me with something else..?" He asked, the suggestive tone in his voice not missed by Jack.

Jack tried to ignore Riddick's comment. She got freaked out the first time he tried to make a move on her, and then since then she hadn't been able to stop thinking about him in a sexual way. She didn't want Riddick to sense this from her so she tried to act as calm and cool as she could. "This isn't the time for jokes like that," she said calmly, hoping this would show Riddick how strong she was because she wasn't freaking out at his comment.

Riddick uncrossed his arms and walked over to Jack. Without realising it, she walked backwards, keeping a short distance between Riddick and herself, as if they were like two magnets of opposite polarities. The only problem was, Jack had backed herself into the outer wall of the merchant's ship, and Riddick was still walking towards her. "Well, we said you're no good at killing," Riddick replied. He stopped walking towards her when he was a foot away. He slammed the palm of his right hand against the ship, next to Jack's head. "So then what else would I find you useful for?" He asked suggestively again, leaning in close to her face. Jack couldn't see into his silver eyes, as he had his goggles on. She felt her heart beating a mile a minute and she really wasn't sure if he'd try grab her again. If he did, she was going to be prepared.

He was testing her. And she intended to pass with flying colours.

Jack smiled sweetly at Riddick. She then slowly raised her hands up to his face and then slid his goggles down with equal slowness, resting them against his exposed collarbone. Riddick raised an eyebrow at her actions. She felt his body move slightly closer to hers, still not touching.

Jack was testing him in a completely different way. Riddick was playing her psychologically, Jack was testing him physically.

"I'll make you a deal.." Jack said, changing the direction of their conversation. Riddick didn't move. His mind was still on the physical half of the conversation. He had a point. If Jack couldn't kill, there's only one other reason why he'd want a young female on board with him? This is where Jack needed to prove herself.

Riddick growled under his breath and leaned in closer. She could feel his hot breath on her neck. "What sort of deal?" He growled.

Jack needed to change his mind, and fast. Riddick had a good argument, which he would no doubt use to justify his sudden 'need' for a female sidekick. He was, after all, an extremely dangerous criminal who spent half his life in a slammer. She knew he could take whatever he wanted, when he wanted. "I'll make you a deal.." She repeated again. "If I can kill Tombs, you take me with you."

Riddick seemed to have frozen in his place. His breathing stopped for a moment, before she felt it on her neck once again. Then, just as Jack had expected, Riddick pulled away from her. He stood up straight once again and crossed his arms. He was staring at her, summing up the benefits and losses of this deal. Jack was getting impatient, and paranoid, as he looked her up and down, his internal dialogue readable on his face. He was determining what benefits he could have if he kept her.

"Do we have a deal or not?!" Jack asked, making sure her voice was stern and strong as she pulled her shoulders back and straightened up like a soldier.

Riddick smirked. "We have a deal."

--

please, dont forget to review!


	7. Ch6: And here ends my life Goodbye Jack

***Author's notes:** well, this story has been left unattended for.. 4.5 years! In the mean time I've finished uni, am now almost 5 yrs older, and am now working with children from traumatic home-lives. So my views on this story have changed. But I have been VERY thankful of the reviews and Fave-story alerts that have kept on coming to my inbox over the years! With the new Riddick movie coming out, I thought I would re-visit this story and Bloody Finish It! Haaha so this is my apology for if my writing style has changed. For my loyal readers, thanks for sticking with me all these years. Fingers crossed this story finally comes to an end soon eh?! –Virg

**Ch6: And here ends my life. Goodbye Jack.  
**

"Gimme your gun," Jack ordered, holding her hand out towards Riddick.

Riddick complied and removed his handgun from its holder on his right thigh. He held it out for Jack. Just before the gun was within Jack's reach, Riddick pulled the gun back and put it back. Jack looked up at him in confusion. "I have a better idea.." Riddick explained. He then reached into a holster on his left thigh and pulled out a shiv. "You're a more hands-on person.." He said, holding it out for Jack.

"I bet you say that to all the girls.." Jack blurted out, figuring that if it meant seducing Riddick to convince him to take her with him, then by golly, she was going to do it.

Riddick snorted in reply, "Runt.." He then turned and walked back into the darkness behind the merchant's ship.

"Where you going?" Jack called out.

"Sun's coming up," He replied, not turning to look at her. He continued to walk away, "I need my beauty sleep."

Jack rolled her eyes. Reflexively she began to run after him but then stopped after a couple of steps. The sound of boots running then stopping made Riddick turn to see why she'd stopped. He watched on as Jack paused, as if she'd been frozen in place. He tried to read it in her eyes. He could see was thinking about something. Thinking hard. Jack stared at the ground at Riddick's feet. After a few seconds, she looked up at him, then turned to look down at the dead merchant's body.

Riddick had no idea what she was doing so he continued to stand in the darkness, arms crossed as he watched Jack. She at first she took a single, slow step towards the merchant. Then after that first step, she seemed to quicken her pace until she was standing over the still body. She stared down at it in total silence. Riddick had no idea what she was doing. He thought he himself to be extremely tactful at reading emotions on people's faces. It was how he survived for so long- picking out lies, fear, anger and lust. But he couldn't read Jack's face right now. She was concentrating on the merchant's dead body, but he couldn't figure out why. Jack then fell to her knees, looking down at the stomach of the merchant. When the shivs reflected the light into Riddick's eyes, he realised what she planned to do.

Jack needed to practice on the dead merchant, before she could slash Tombs.

"You really think you're cut out for this?" Riddick asked, watching Jack move the merchant's robes so that his stomach was exposed. Stabbing someone in the heat of battle was one thing. Slicing up the dead was another.

Jack didn't look at him. She kept her eyes firmly on the dead body in front of her. "I have to be."

Riddick walked over, wanting to get a good view of what was about to be Jack's first time at stabbing flesh (that he knew of). "You ever done this before, squirt?" Riddick stood on the other side of the merchant's body, staring down at Jack. She looked so small and petite. Her legs were crossed under her as she knelt by the cooling body. She held the shiv over the merchant's body.

Jack looked up at Riddick with a look he'd never seen her give him before. It was a smile that reeked of confidence, her eyes blank and secretive at the same time. It was a look Riddick saw in himself in the mirror once before. "You remember asking me what happened to my dad?" Jack asked. She stared up at Riddick. Her eyes cold. Riddick couldn't help but feel for the girl at that moment. At least, feel for her in the way a cold-hearted killer could. She was definitely hiding something.

"You kill him?" Riddick asked.

Jack looked back down at the body before her. She didn't answer Riddick's question. She kept the shiv hovering millimetres above the stomach of the merchant. Riddick could see she was hesitating. It pissed him off. He was pissed off that she didn't answer his question about her father, and then she was now hesitating with a dead body! She wanted to be a bad-ass and now she was too chicken to stab a dead body. At the same time, Riddick wondered why he cared so much if Jack had killed before. He knew her life was at a crossroads, and if she continued on with their deal of her killing Tombs, there was no going back. And Riddick didn't want her to be like him. She had a chance to live like a normal teenager. But at the same time, it was appealing to Riddick to meet someone not unlike himself.

Riddick huffed and uncrossed his arms. Jack was still hesitating. Riddick needed to show Jack what it meant to be like him. Maybe he could scare her away.

Jack didn't realise she had been staring at the body for so long. After Riddick asked her about her father, her mind was suddenly filled with anger, the sound of screaming and the sight of blood. She didn't want to think about that day. She didn't like to think about her dad all together.

Suddenly, the feel of Riddick's boot on her hands broke Jack out of her stupor. She looked at her hands, clasping over the shiv handle, with Riddick's foot atop her hands. She had no control as she felt her hands being pushed down. The shiv touched the merchant's skin, and Jack could feel the shiv stop momentarily, meeting with resistance as the tip pressed down on the merchant's skin. She felt the pressure of Riddick's boot push down harder on her hands and she felt the shiv press harder into the skin. Suddenly, she felt the shiv pierce the merchant's skin and the shiv were met with no resistance as Riddick pushed Jack's hands, and the shiv, down into the still-warm bowels of the merchant.

Riddick then lifted his boot off Jack's hands and stood up straight. Jack removed her hands from the shiv. Her hands were covered in blood, but blood didn't spill out onto the ground. The merchant's heart had stopped minutes ago, so there was no blood being pumped throughout the cooling corpse. Jack looked hard at the blood on her hands. It felt sticky and she was mesmerised by the colour.

"Tombs would have snapped your neck already."

Jack looked up from her bloodied hands and into Riddick's silver eyes. "What?"

"Hesitate like that again, and I guarantee he won't wait for you to decide if you can do it or not." Riddick then took steps around Jack and began to walk back into the darkness. The sky had already begun to lighten and the sun would surely be up before they reached Imam's house if Jack didn't follow him soon. She pulled the shiv out of the merchant, not wanting to leave any evidence behind. She then stood up and began running after Riddick.

When they got back, Jack gave Riddick his shiv back, and ran straight to her room without saying a word to Imam. The Arabic man was not happy that Jack had what appeared to be blood on her hands. Jack decided at the last minute that she'd go to the bathroom and wash her hands first. Once she'd done that, she took herself to her room and slammed the door behind her. She could hear Imam say something to Riddick, but she couldn't hear exactly what was said because the door muffled the sounds from outside her room.

Jack looked back down at her hands. This wasn't the first, or even the second time that Jack had blood on her hands.

* * *

Imam whispered to Riddick, as he didn't want Jack hearing him. "What happened?"

Riddick waited until he heard Jack slam her bedroom door and then replied "I was about to leave this rock but she followed me. She got into trouble and I had to stop it before people realised who I was."

Imam rubbed his forehead. He wanted to do whatever it took to make sure Jack wasn't going to end up like Riddick. "Well you obviously didn't leave, so that means you're not taking her with you, yes?"

Riddick didn't respond, standing there and stoically staring at the holy man. Riddick had had a similar conversation with Imam yesterday. At the time, Riddick was 100% sure he was going to ditch Jack and leave her behind. Riddick didn't need a scrawny teenager following him across the galaxy. Especially one with daddy issues, is utterly useless with a gun, and gutless with a shiv. But now, Riddick didn't respond because he really didn't know the answer himself. He was weighing up what life would mean for him if she went with him. The cons would be that she would slow him down, and probably be killed by a Merc after a day on the run with Riddick. He'd have to keep protecting her and saving her, and it'd probably mean that he too would be killed. The pros would be that he can train her to be as lethal has he, and it might be good to have company, with to someone to cover his back. Riddick had spent a life alone, and he was used to it. But since Carolyn died, and since he brought Jack and Imam with him from that fuck'n planet, something in Riddick was making him question his usual slefish and cold-hearted actions. His instinct for self-preservation had begun to skew.

Imam wasn't sure to make of Riddick standing there silently. "Jack has a chance at a normal childhood," he began.

But then Riddick cut him off, with "she clearly isn't normal, Holy Man".

Imam didn't want to get into an argument with Riddick. "Please just promise me that you're not taking her with you".

Riddick remained calm, not feeling threatened at all by Imam. He understood what was happening. Imam was a man who wanted to take Jack under his wing, and lived a life free of crime. Of course he wanted that for Jack. Imam wasn't stupid. They could both see Jack was falling in love with Riddick's lifestyle

* * *

Jack tried to sleep. She had gotten a decent sleep before she ran out to follow Tombs in the early hours of the morning. Now her mind was racing and she couldn't relax. Regardless, Jack's adrenaline was leaving her body and she was feeling her body trying to calm down from the morning's events. Jack got into bed and lay on her side. She faced the cream wall that the bed rested against.

Jack fell asleep without even realising it, as her dreams were that of vivid memories. Jack felt as though she were transported back to her family home. She was in her bedroom reading. Her mother had died 2 years before, and her dad became angrier every day after Jack's mother's death. Jack was at school when she got the news that her mother was killed in a mugging, but her father was the one who had to go and confirm the identity of her mother's body. He changed that day after seeing the stab wounds and bruising on her mother. Since then, her father drank more, left Jack home alone more, and would come back home angry and violent.

That particular night, Jack's father came home, slamming the door behind him. Jack flinched at the sound, knowing that meant her father had his fill of alcohol, and was likely to begin screaming at her for something.. anything that allowed him to let his frustrations out. Sometimes when she pretended to be asleep, he'd give up yelling and go pass out on the couch.

Tonight Jack heard him stomp into the kitchen and stop. He then stomped towards her bedroom. She heard him coming and prayed that he detoured to his room or the couch. Jack cringed when the door to her room opened. She had her back to the door and so she closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep. Her father stomped to her bed and grabbed the back of Jack's Tshirt.

"Get up! I know you're awake!" he yelled, pulling her out of the bed. Jack was forced onto the floor, then her feet, and pulled into the kitchen by her T-shirt. She didn't say anything, for fear of making him angrier. He pulled her to the sink and made her look into it. "What's this shit?!" He yelled. "I asked you to clean up while I'm gone! I've got people coming over tomorrow and you've left this mess?!" he yelled, tilting his head to the two ceramic plates in the sink.

Jack didn't reply, because she knew that no matter how she answered, nothing would make the situation better. In this case, not replying and not looking at him made him angrier. He threw Jack towards the floor, sending Jack sideways onto the tiles. Before she could pick herself up, her father picked up the two dirty plates from the sink and smashed them on the floor in between them. Jack brought her hands up to her face, and knees as close to her shoulders as possible to protect herself from the broken pieces of the ceramic plates as they shattered.

"Clean this shit up, you little bitch", he yelled at her. Jack stared at the shards, sitting as still as possible. "Are you listening to me?!" he yelled, slapping his hand across her head. Jack's ear stung from the impact, but she tried not to make a sound. She tried to sit up again and looked at the floor. "I clothe you!" he said, hitting her again on the side of her head. "I feed you!" he said louder, hitting her with his hand again. "You're useless!" he yelled.

This time he kicked Jack in the stomach. Jack groaned and doubled over, her palms hitting the tiles to stop her from hitting the tiles head first. Jack's right hand landed on a large shard of broken ceramic plate, and she could feel it had cut her hand. Her dad took another kick to her ribs, and she was sure something was broken with that blow.

Jack felt adrenalin pumping through her system. She was sick of the shit her father put her through. She was sick of the constant abuse, hiding bruises, and being treated like a slave. A rage began to build within Jack. Two years of hurt, anger and sadness building up every day. Jack felt like she had taken a step back in her own mind, as though she had begun watching her life from someone else's eyes. She watched herself wrap her hand around the long ceramic shard. Her father took another kick at Jack's stomach. She felt like she was going to throw up, but the adrenalin in her system had begun working overtime.

Jack watched her hand tighten around the ceramic shard. She had cut her hand in doing so, but she didn't care. She'd had enough. "Stop!" she yelled back at her father. He hadn't noticed what Jack had in her hand. But he also didn't listen.

"You are useless! You're not good for anything!" he yelled

Jack brought herself to her feet, gasping when she felt the sharp pain in her ribs as she stood. She was surprised her dad let her stand. When she stood up, she looked straight into her father's eyes. "Get away from me". She said with all her strength. This is when her father saw the ceramic shiv in her hand.

He smirked. "What are you planning on doing with that?" he asked, looking at her like he cannot take her seriously. "You going to knife me?" he scoffed.

Jack stood still, staring at her father. Staring at his face made her rage burn hotter. She hated her life and how bad he made her feel.

Her father took a step closer to her, the crunch of broken ceramic plate was heard grinding under his shoes as he moved. Her father jabbed Jack in the shoulder with his finger. "I said, are you going to knife me?" he growled.

Jack took a step back as an automatic response to being poked. "Get away from me", she growled back. Jack was at breaking point. Tears welled up in her eyes.

Her father seemed to be amused at her trying to take a stance, but that she began to cry instead. Her father then pushed her, causing Jack to land on the floor and drop the shiv. Her father was only getting started, and Jack's 30-second stance made him angrier. Jack felt like something switched in her brain, like a light switch that turned her conscience off. She'd had enough! She needed to get away from him before he killed her. It was kill or be killed.

Jack found her hand wrap around the shiv again, and she felt her heart pumping faster. "I said get AWAY FROM ME!" Jack yelled as she lunched towards her father with the shiv.

It was then that Jack felt like she was thrown back into reality. Three inches of ceramic plate was wedged into her father's gut. He staggered back and fell to the floor. Jack wasn't sure if he fell because he was in shock or if she'd fatally stabbed him. She didn't wait to find out.

Jack staggered back to her room, gathered whatever she could and left the house. That was the last time Jack saw her father.

Jack found herself sitting up in bed again, sweaty and tangled in the sheets. She found herself sitting with her fist in the air, and semi-remembers yelling as she woke up.

Jack reassessed her situation. She realised she was in her bedroom in the holy man's house. It was a dream; a memory. She was safe now. Her father was on a different planet, if he was still alive.

It was then that Jack realised that Riddick was standing in her doorway, arms crossed and leaning on the doorframe.

Jack lowered her arm, and stared at Riddick. She didn't know what to say, and he didn't appear to say anything. Jack felt embarrassed, and unsure of what Riddick heard and saw. His silver eyes were giving her nothing in return.

After a few moments, Riddick stood up straight and left the room.

Riddick had guessed that Jack had issues at home, which is why she tried to pass as a boy when she ran away from home and onto a ship, which then crash landed on a planet full of man-eating monsters. Riddick had seen it all before. A kid from a broken home, forced to live on the streets. He'd killed a couple of them too. Most of them ended up as Mercs. There was something about violence and control over one's own chaotic life that drew so many of them to that job. Jack was on the cusp of heading into that violent lifestyle, or heading to a life of normalcy, now that she's away from her shitty home life. Riddick didn't want to be responsible for anyone but himself. He didnt want to be responsible for whichever life Jack chose to follow.

As Riddick showered, he thought about this situation and decided that he was going to go ahead with his plan of leaving the planet as soon as possible. If he got the chance to go without Jack, then to hell with her. However if she managed to kill Tombs, then he might actually consider bringing her with him. But there'd be one rule- keep up or be left behind.

Riddick collected his bags and put them by the back door to Imams home. He wasn't planning on leaving again without his rations if there is an opportunity to leave this rock. Riddick then put on his long black cloak and went out the door in search of another 4-wheeler to drive.

* * *

Jack knew she wasn't going to get back to sleep anytime soon. So she got up and gathered what little clothing she had into a bag she found in the closet. Now that shw had the deal with Riddick, she wanted to be prepared to leave at any moment. She tried to tidy up the room, as a thank-you to Imam. After she got all that done, she showered and head to the kitchen to get herself something to eat.

The holy man was there already, eating.

"Good morning, child," Imam greeted. "I left you some lunch on the counter there", he pointed.

Jack went over and picked up the plate of sliced meat and vegetables and went and sat next to Imam. "Thanks" she said as she began eating.

Imam finished his bite and turned to face Jack. "I need to be honest, and tell you that I am worried about you, Jack," he said.

Jack raised her eyebrows, and 'Huh?'-ed between chewing. Imam clasped his hands and placed them on the counter. "Jack, I figured you have run away from your home for good reason. And you deserve a good life. I'd like you to live here. I've already spoken to the head of the school. You start next week."

Jack couldn't believe what she was hearing. On one hand she should be happy to hear about being given a good life. On the other hand she was utterly offended that Imam had begun making plans, talking to the school, before talking to her about where she's going to live. Plus she fully intended of flying off into the distance with Riddick.

"Thanks for the offer, Imam," Jack began. "But I don't think I can stay here". Jack wanted to be polite, but wanted him to know his offer was not required.

Imam nodded. "I know you want to go with Riddick," Imam said. He wasn't mad, and he kept his deep voice level and calm. "But that life is not a safe or happy one. You don't need to go down that path. Promise me that you'll take my offer if he doesn't take you with him."

Jack finished what she was chewing. He had a fair offer. If Riddick didn't take her, then where would she go? Only thing is Imam had no idea that Jack had made a deal with Riddick; kill Tombs and Jack get's a 1-way ticket onto Riddick's ship. And Jack fully intended on keeping to her end of the deal. Today she was going to kill Tombs.

"If Riddick doesn't take me with him, then I'll stay here".

Imam smiled in response. "Wonderful."

* * *

Jack walked into Riddick's room and found that he wasn't there. She checked the rest of the house and couldn't find him. Jack felt a moment of panic, that Riddick had left without her. Jack then suddenly heard the back door open and she found Riddick loading a 4-wheeler with his bags.

"Drive me to the ship", Jack ordered, which seemed as threatening as a fluffy puppy barking at an intruder.

Riddick stopped tying the last bag onto the 4-wheeler and stood up straight. "You bossing me around?"

Jack gave him a half-smile. "I told you I like making escaped convicts into my bitches", she joked as she replayed the line she said to him right after she killed the gun-seller that tried to buy her. "Take me to Tomb's ship so I can get it done", Jack ordered again.

Riddick seemed intrigued by this teenager's sudden burst of confidence. He knew that she was not a cold-hearted killer, and she may not be able to kill Tombs. But he also knew that when she was backed into a corner, she didn't hesitate to defend herself. "You sure you're up for this? Because now is your chance to go be a normal teenager and go out on dates with scrawny teenage boys and forget about this deal".

Jack didn't expect Riddick to say something like this. Did he really care about Jack's wellbeing? Or did he just want out of their deal? Jack held her head proud, walked to the 4-wheeler and sat in the passenger seat. "And while you're at it, I need a shiv" Jack ordered. Riddick scoffed at Jack's demands. He opened one of the bags and pulled out a knife, rather than a shiv. It was in its holder, as he dropped it in Jack's lap. Jack was surprised he didn't give her a crummy shiv. Instead, she was given something that looked like a fancy dagger. Jack felt the smooth black casing with her left hand, and the criss-crossed black wrapping over the handle in her right hand. Jack pulled the dagger out of it's case and she stared at the shiny, sharp, steel knife.

"It's a Tanto," Riddick explained. "It's a relic from Japan, from old Earth. Noble warriors of the emperor used to carry them, along with a sword that looks like a longer version of that."

Jack looked at Riddick, unsure why he's given her such a priceless relic. "Why are you giving me this?" Jack asked. "You've got a bag full of shivs".

Riddick sat down in the 4-wheeler next to her. He started it up and turned to look at her. "If you're going to be riding with me, you need something that's sturdy and sharp". Riddick then put the 4-wheeler into gear and began their drive towards the shipping docks. "And it's very sharp. So if you screw up, your attacker may just kill themselves from running into it."

Jack rolled her eyes at his jab about how useless her killing ability is. Jack re-sheathed the weapon and found herself holding the Tanto tight in her hands. Her first knife. Given to her by one of the most dangerous men in the galaxy, and her idol.

**Author's notes**: Thanks again for your patience everyone! Please do review! New chapter within the next week or 2.


	8. Ch 7: How many knives?

**Author's notes**: apologies for the delay guys. I hope you like the next chapter!

**Ch 7: How many knives does it take to kill a Merc?**

It was broad daylight, as the midday sun shone down over them. Riddick had his black cloak on, with his hood over his goggled eyes. Jack wore her cargoes, her black Tshirt and a light jacket. They rode through the streets until they reached the shipping docks. When they were there last, it was still dark, in the early hours of the morning. The large bright spotlights over the ships had made the docks look magnanimous, as the lights emphasised how large the ships were. In the daytime there was more to see, more people around, and more repairs and maintenance being done.

Jack looked over at Riddick, who was driving silently. With the cloak on him, she couldn't see him well, but Jack felt so comfortable riding next to Riddick. She felt safe by his side, like it was a natural place to be. Jack looked down at her Tanto. It was hers now; An initiation gift from Riddick. And she wanted to do him proud.

Riddick drove past the docks, taking them to the edge of the marketplace. "Why aren't we going to the docks?" Jack asked, unsure why he stopped the vehicle a fair distance away from the shipping docks.

Riddick stopped the vehicle and turned to face Jack. "You're getting off here. Go through the market. If you haven't seen Tombs there, then you go to the docks and look for him there".

Jack knew she made the deal with Riddick, but she didn't think to realise he's not going to be holding her hand when she looked to complete this task. Jack nodded, tucking her knife into the side of her combat boot. "Where do I meet you?" Jack asked.

Riddick pushed Jack's shoulder, hinting to her to get out of the 4-wheeler. "If you kill the Merc, then meet me at his ship".

Jack took the hint and hopped off the 4-wheeler. "So I've only got today to do this?" Jack asked. Riddick nodded, looking at her through his goggles. "What if I can't find him by tonight?"

Riddick started up the vehicle again. "You know where his ship is. He'll be sleeping in it". And with that, Riddick drove off, leaving Jack at the edge of the marketplace.

Jack watched as Riddick left her, the wheels of the 4-wheeler kicking sand and dust in her face. Jack coughed, trying to clear the dust from her lungs. "Dick."

Riddick had his own plans. Regardless of what happens today, he will be leaving the planet tonight.

He drove the buggy directly to the docks. He parked it into a secluded spot and then unhooked the three bags that were on the back. He slung the bags over his shoulders, prepared to leave the planet with his rations and weapons; man's best friends.

Riddick picked up the three bags and made his way to the docks. He may be a large man, wearing a black cloak on a hot dessert planet, but he was a master at hiding in plain sight.

Riddick knew where Tombs' one-man ship was, so that made it easier for Riddick. He walked in a straight line towards the ship, breathing confidence and danger. No-one was going to ask him what he was doing there.

As Riddick neared Tombs' ship, he walked around the side of it. Riddick wanted to enter but he needed to know if Tombs was inside it first. He would normally just kill Tombs, but he was going to let Jack have a crack at it first.

Riddick walked around the sides of the ship, checking the portholes for any signs of life. As Riddick looped around, he kept one hand on the ship.

When he reached the front of the ship again, he could feel vibrations from the hull through his hand.

Riddick paused and moved backwards to the side of the ship. He stood still, with both hands on the hull, and concentrated. The vibrations were rhythmic; thud, thud, thud. They were the vibrations of footsteps. Someone was in the ship, moving around.

Within seconds, the docking hatch began to open. Riddick remained where he was, at the side of the ship. He watched as Tombs walked away from the ship. The hatch began to close, but Riddick snuck in with the bags before it shut.

Riddick got to know a lot of ships in his lifetime. He can pilot ships in his sleep. So Riddick already knew this ship before he even entered it. He located a console that he could hide his weapons and rations in. He then made his way to the pilot's seat and sat down.

Riddick started up the computer system and ran diagnostics. The ship was running perfectly. And this suited Riddick just fine. There'd be no problems taking off.

Riddick paused. Something was bothering him. Riddick couldn't help but want to know more about the enigma that was Jack.

He turned to a different console and started up the program mercs use to track missing and wanted persons. It was a program sold to mercs that hacks into law-keeper's databases.

Riddick created a new search. He limited the search results to missing or wanted females, aged 14-16, from the planet their ship had taken off from before they crash landed on the planet full of monsters.  
He figured Jack was a name similar to that of Jack's real name. So he requested girls with the name starting with J appear first.

Over two hundred girls appeared in the listing. Riddick started to sort through them, looking at the pictures. The girls started looking the same after a while. Most were runaways, some were wanted for murder and such.  
After a few minutes, Riddick found her.

Name: Jacqueline McKenzie  
Age: 15 + 11months  
Details: Legal guardians: Mother Madeline McKenzie (deceased), Father Geoff McKenzie.  
Child reported missing. Wanted for assault with a deadly weapon. Father reports that child stabbed him in an unprovoked assault. Child Services report 2 notifications of physical abuse made to them by anonymous reporters, however reports unsubstantiated as father and child not home at both unannounced visits. Case closed, pending more in depth investigation at point of locating missing child.

Riddick looked at the accompanying picture. It looked like a school class photo. Jack looked like she was in a school uniform. She was smiling, but her big eyes were showing that she wasn't smiling because she was happy. It was a fake smile. He'd only known her for days, but he already knew the difference with her. Riddick kept analysing the picture. Jacqueline McKenzie had a head full of long curly brown hair. She looked like a pretty teenage girl.

When Riddick met her, she had her hair cropped short, but then she shaved it all off. Jack had said she tried to pass as a boy so that men didn't hassle her. If she kept her curls then she wouldn't have stood a chance.

Riddick knew Jack had good survival instincts.

He admired that in a woman.

* * *

Jack walked through the market. She didn't bother looking in the stalls. She had her eyes on everyone walking through it. She hoped that Tombs would be in the busy crowd. It would be easier to stab him and run in this chaos. No-one would be the wiser.

Jack combed the stalls, aisle after aisle. She couldn't find Tombs anywhere. There were so many people that even if he were there, chances are she wouldn't necessarily bump into him.

Jack then made her way to the shipping docks. She didn't know which one was Tombs' ship, but she was going to see if she could work it out for herself.

This was getting ridiculous. Jack had been wondering around for an hr, looking for Tombs. She went to the shipping docks, and took a guess that his ship was the smaller, single-manned vehicle. Practically the same size as the ship Riddick piloted to take them to New Mecca.

Jack walked to the ship, trying to look in the port holes and windshield. She couldn't see anything. It appeared as though there was no-one in it.

"Hey!" An unknown male voice called out. Jack turned quickly to see a mechanic had approached her. "What are you doing here?" The large man was wearing a grease-stained blue jumpsuit. His tone suggested that he's come across more than a few stowaways lurking around the shipping docks in his time.

Jack put on her sweetest smile, wishing she still had her lovely brown curls so that she can pass better as sweet and presentable. "Who's ship is this?" She asked as sweetly as possible.

The mechanic didn't play into the 'telling the cute teenager everything because she asked nicely'. Instead he replied, "That's none of your business. Get out of here!".

Jack figured that if she were Riddick then Riddick would have gutted the mechanic by now. She wasn't the cold blooded killer he was (yet), so she was going to use her current talents to her advantage. And that was to pretend to be an innocent kid.  
"I'm sorry, but I'm asking because my dad is a Merc named Tombs. He comes here once a year to see me for my birthday. He hasn't come see me yet, so I thought I'd see if he's arrived."

The mechanic appeared to buy Jack's story. "Yeah, this is Tombs' ship. But he's been here since yesterday."

Jack pretended to be shocked. "What?! Why hasn't he come see me yet? Do you know where I can find him?" Jack asked, pretending as best she can to be a heartbroken girl who has just realised her father is an asshole.

The mechanic rubbed the back of her head. "Look, I don't want to cause trouble between you and your dad," he said. "I got a daughter too, and she's about your age. I know if I miss her birthday then she'd hate me forever". The mechanic looked around nervously, as if he were looking for Tombs. He then turned back to Jack. "Don't tell anyone that I told you this.. but guys like your dad.. Mercs.. they can usually be found over at the whore house.."

The poor mechanic looked as though he'd just told Jack that her dad is a perverted asshole. If Tombs was her dad then the mechanic's feelings would be justified.

Jack pretended to get upset. "Thanks. I'll go now. Please don't tell him I was here, okay?"

The mechanic nodded. "No problem, kid. Good luck finding your dad".

Jack hurried away and walked in the direction of the whore house. She wasn't sure if there were numerous ones on New Mecca, but she remembered passing one when Riddick took Jack to the black market to purchase weapons. It wasn't too far from the shipping docks, so there was a chance that Tombs was there.

* * *

Riddick left the ship. He could have left the planet there and then. The old Riddick would have done this. But Riddick decided to stick to his plan and give Jack a chance to kill Tombs. He was going to give the kid a deadline, as he knows she's a gutless wonder and may never kill Tombs at all.

Riddick drove the 4-wheeler around the market, thinking he'd look for something to eat. He swiped some food, and decided to take the time to sit in the 4-wheeler and eat (keeping one eye on his surroundings, just in case). It was then that he spotted Jack in the crowd. Riddick drove slowly, watching Jack. She was walking across the market, appearing to have a purpose to where she was going. Riddick noticed that her ability to walk through the crowd had improved. She was being pushed around a lot less than when they first walked through the market together. Jack held her head high, and had a scowl on her face. She was thinking hard about where she was going. Riddick wondered if she had located Tombs, so he decided to follow her.

Riddick rode the 4-wheeler just out of sight of Jack. It wasn't hard, as she seemed to be concentrating hard on where she was going. Riddick found that Jack was walking towards the black market that he took her to. Riddick parked the 4 wheeler in a secluded spot and followed her on foot. It was still the middle of the afternoon, so the unsavoury characters weren't out, and stores were mostly closed, due to open as soon as the sun went down. Riddick shouldn't have been surprised that Jack had no idea she was being followed. But then again it reminded him that she was still a 15 year old girl, who shouldn't be following in his footsteps.

Jack stopped just short of the market square, which was an open space that forked into five different market streets. Riddick noticed Jack standing at the corner, leaning against the wall as if she were trying to hide herself from the market square. Riddick neared Jack, hoping he'd see who she's following. He stood close behind her, and leaned over her shoulder to get a look at what she was seeing. Jack had no idea he was standing over her. She was staring at the Whore-house. The two-storey building looked cliché with sexy ladies wearing minimal clothing standing out the front.

As if on cue, Tombs walked out of one of the adjoining streets, and across the market square, straight for the whore-house. "Predictable" Riddick commented, knowing he'd freak Jack out.

As predicted, Jack jumped at the sound of his voice, finding herself ploughing backwards into Riddick's massive chest and stomach. "You scared the Ba-Jesus out of me!" Jack whispered harshly, slapping Riddick across his bulging bicep. Anyone else would have had their neck snapped by now, but there was something humorous Riddick found in seeing Jack trying to assert her dominance.

Jack quickly spun back around to look at the whore house. Tombs was smiling and conversing with one of the barely-dressed ladies. He then put his arm around her and they walked into the whore-house together. Jack was still looking at the building when she asked Riddick, "What's predictable?"

"If you're looking for a Merc in his down time, a whore house is where he'll be. Also handy knowledge if you're looking to kill one when he's not expecting it." Jack tried not to picture Riddick bursting into a bedroom and stabbing a Merc mid-sex act. "You still got your knife?" Riddick asked.

Jack nodded, turning to face Riddick. "Should I go in there?"

Riddick couldn't help but smile at how naive she was. "You can. But I hope you realise that girls enter through the back door. You can't go in the front as a customer." Riddick watched as Jack took a moment to process it.

Jack's eyes widened at the realisation. "You mean I'd have to go in as a.. whore?" She stammered the last words. Riddick nodded silently, finding himself pulling his goggles down off his eyes to rest on his collarbone.

Jack was stunned at the idea of what would need to happen if she wanted to go in there in an attempt to kill Tombs. Jack found that the intimidation of what it took to be as intense as Riddick, kept bringing out poor attempts at humour and dominance in her. And this was no exception. Jack found herself saying "I don't know about having some gross sweaty stranger on top of me.." Jack bit her lip and then looked up at Riddick. Her self-defence mechanism was kicking in without her brain catching up. "You wanna be my first?"

Riddick almost went hard at that moment. Jack admitted that she was a virgin. She was asking him to be her first. Riddick found his animal side kicking back in, as he leaned forward. He leaned over Jack, placing his forearm on the wall over Jack's head.

Jack found herself falling back against the wall. Her brain caught up with what was happening, and her brain played a flash of images of Riddick crushing Jack up against the wall with his own body, Riddick picking Jack up by her legs and wrapping them around his hips. Riddick pressing his lips hard against Jack's.

Riddick could see it in her eyes. She was picturing it too. He found himself inches away from Jack. Their bodies were so close that they could feel the heat radiating off each other. Riddick, despite his animal instincts, stopped as his face was centremeters from Jack's. She was 15, but still had the body of a teenage boy. As it turns out, Jack was a late bloomer.

His silver eyes looked deep into her bright blue ones. Riddick took in a single big breath, taking in Jack's smell. He then said softly, with his deep rumbling voice, "It's an enticing offer.." Riddick then leaned back, "But come find me when you're fully grown."

Jack a slight twinge of rejection at Riddick's comment, however it also got her off the hook of following through on her request. Jack didn't know to respond to it, so she didn't respond at all.

Riddick was now horny as hell. He let in a deep breath and let out a low rumble from the back of his throat. Riddick turned and looked at the whore-house. He then looked over at Jack. "I'm leaving New Mecca tonight. You have 4 hours to kill Tombs or I'm leaving without you." With that, Riddick placed his goggles over his eyes, and started walking towards the whore-house.

Jack realised which direction he was headed in, and grabbed his forearm. "Where are you going?!" Jack whispered anxiously. Riddick looked down at his forearm and then back up at Jack. She smiled sheepishly and removed her hands.

Riddick was never shy when it came to speaking about his sexuality. "I'm horny," he said as a matter of fact. "So I'm going to fuck someone before I leave New Mecca."

Jack wasn't sure how to respond to that, but found she could only ask the only thing that came to mind. "But Tombs is in there!"

"He'll be too busy fucking his brains out to notice who else is there". And with that, Riddick walked over to the whore-house.

Jack retreated back to the brick wall and watched Riddick walk to the whore house. She could see three ladies standing out the front. Jack could see that Riddick's walk over there had caught the attention of the ladies. An Alpha-male was entering the hen-house. Maybe every day they had muscly and dangerous men coming to see them. But maybe not every day that a _sexy_ muscly, dangerous man came to see them. Jack watched as Riddick walked up to one of them, the one with long, dark, curly hair. She nodded and they both walked into the whore-house together.

"Asshole".


End file.
